The Peregrination
by Sir Heroden
Summary: Reyna, Nico and Coach Hedge race against time to deliver the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood in an attempt to unite Romans and Greeks. But the life of a demigod is never easy. Powerful Monsters, Gods and Titans are determined to stop them... no matter what.
1. Introduction

**The Peregrination **

Peregrination, /pɛrɪgrɪˈneɪʃən/_noun : _a journey, especially a long or meandering one.

**Summary:**

Reyna, Nico and Coach Hedge race against time to deliver the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood in an attempt to unite Romans and Greeks. But the life of a demigod is never easy. Monsters, Gods and Titans are determined to stop them at any cost.

Follow the journey of our heroes as they travel half way across the world, discover friendships and battle to survive.

**Warning:** Rated T for safety (contains mild violence).

**Update Rate:** Will try to update at least once every 1-2 weeks. Apologies to those who like to read stories all in one go.

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Rick R or Greek Mythology, the storyline belongs to me.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: I hope you enjoy!**

**.**

**Chapter 1**

Reyna stared into the campfire. There had always been something about flames that captivated her. Maybe it was the way they moved; maybe it was the way they burned. She didn't really know.

Fire was one of the only things that she was unsure of. On one hand, the discovery of fire was probably the best thing that ever happened to mankind; on the other hand death by fire was probably the worse fate one could have.

_Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why was there nothing in this world that one could just simply admire, instead to exploiting or fearing? _

The Fates must really hate demigods to make their lives so depressing. She could imagine those old ladies popping over a bag of popcorn, sitting back and enjoying the show of torturing demigods.

She sighed.

There was 100% chance that Nico wasn't coming back.

Firstly, it had been _hours _since he left.

Secondly… he was probably busy killing Frank and everyone else on the Argo II for losing his sister.

She silently cursed that Frank for breaking such bad news to them just when everything had been going so well. Not to mention that it both surprised and disappointed her that Nico would take the news so badly.

It wasn't like him to lose his temper.

As members of the New Rome council, her as a Praetor and Nico as the Ambassador of Pluto, they had endured numerous meetings and known each other for a lengthy period of time.

That of course, didn't mean they were anything close to friends, but they certainly respected each other and admire the other's skills in 'discussing' (fighting about) the many matters in council.

To Reyna's embarrassment, the long and boring debates of the senate were sometimes too much and she would release her pent up energy by shouting at those who made stupid suggestions and banging on the table once in a while. Nico on the other hand, always kept calm, forever having an emotionless face despite the outrageous proposals that would appear.

The praetor knew of the highly flammable tempers of the Big Three and had experienced it first hand from Jason, which meant that Nico had amazing self-control. The young man had an aura of seriousness and power that made even the most boisterous of senators snap their jaws close in fear and listen.

She remembered how Octavian had claimed Nico was a spy at first and wanted him killed, and how all said demigod had done was raise a delicate eyebrow and ask who the augur thought he could possibly be spying for and then point out sarcastically that Pluto would not be pleased if the son he sent to be his ambassador was killed on suspicion the first day he got there.

In fact, if he had been the son of a more…accepted god, then Reyna would have considered making him a full-fledged senator, instead of just having an honorary position on the council.

The legionnaires all thought being a leader meant privilege and respect, but in truth, being a leader was hard work. Always the first to start and the last to finish, the person blamed if anything bad happened, the person losing sleep pondering over what harm their decisions could bring down upon loved ones.

Not to mention that everyone came to you with their stupid problems. Reyna had always secretly thought Nico was certainly calm and patient enough to be a leader.

At least… until today.

oOo

The Praetor thought the first round of shadow travel had gone well enough, after she got used to the fact that the said form of travel made her feel as if she face was falling off and she was suffocating in dark, cold water.

In just two jumps they had made it to some abandoned wood in France, keeping with Nico's idea of getting as close to the ocean as possible to make the huge jump across. They were about six hundred miles from their starting position and it was only a bit later than midday.

Pleased with their progress and slightly concerned by the fact that Nico nearly passed out the moment they got there. Reyna had insisted that they rest in the woods for the night or at least for a few hours so that Son of Hades could recharge his powers.

But the life of a demigod was never so straight forwards.

.

.

**AN: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to favourite and comment if you like the story! It means a lot to know that your work is appreciated. Constructive feedback is always accepted. **


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Here is the next chapter, enjoy this memory recall from Reyna!**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 2**

_Coach Hedge backhanded Nico across the face and Reyna couldn't help but grimace at his brutal methods of waking someone up._

_The club wielding 'demigod- protector' was definitely a breed apart from his brethren back in Camp Jupiter. Those fawns/satyrs_ _were nothing but a pathetic bunch of beggars and thieves as far as she was concerned. When Percy had explained to her that in the Greek camp satyrs were sent 'undercover' to find demigods and protect them until they get to camp, she was laughed and was downright sceptical- after all, it sounded like something from a badly made spy movie. _

_But did she doubt the Son of Poseidon's claims now? Probably not. _

_Said protector was busy mumbling to himself and struggling to unlatch the buckles of Nico's vambrace. Probably to check his pulse, she thought._

_After some struggle and some swearing, he pulled off the offending piece of armour and threw it into some bushes. _

_Reyna sighed; the son of Hades would mad if pieces of his armour went missing. So, being the responsible Praetor, she had to crawl around in the bushes for a few minutes, getting random twigs in her hair and a few splinters as well. So much for being a high ranking Roman officer. _

_Finally, she found the discarded armour and dropped it next to their packs on the ground where it could be found when needed._

_It was already midday, according to her watch, but wherever they were was amazingly cold. The only light came from the weak, watery sun hiding behind a veil of fog. _

_A very annoying veil of fog that only gave her a few minutes distance of vision, she added mentally. The white mist pressed against her, choking her and tauntingly obstructing her sight. These situations could be very dangerous, with possible enemies leaping out of the fog with no earlier notice. She wished Nico would wake up soon and transport them somewhere without this blasted fog._

_Her breath clouded the air as she kept guard a few metres away from her companions. Heat from her body combated the coldness and small droplets of water slid down her armour. _

_Her finely tuned senses warned her of danger before she even realised what it was. _

_There was something different about the woods that wasn't a few minutes ago._

What was it?_ Her mind asked. _

_Silence._

_There had been no sound for several minutes now._

_The praetor shuffled back to where her other two companions were. They had to be ready to fight if needed._

"_What's going on? Is he awake yet?"_

_Hedge was sitting back with a shocked expression on his face. He took a deep breath as if he planned on not taking one for some time. _

"_I think he's dead." Hedge shook his head sadly._

"_WHAT?"_

_The Praetor knelt down hurriedly, not bothering to adjust her sword and regretting it as the weapon's hilt jabbed into her ribs. _

_She pressed two fingers to his wrist and finding no movement, moved to his neck. The flesh was still warm against her fingers. _

_One second…no pulse….two seconds…no pulse… three seconds….still no pulse…four- There!_

_Reyna cursed the weather and coldness that was causing her hand to shake, "Go and get me a water bottle."_

"_You want a drink at a-"_

"_WATER BOTTLE- NOW!"_

_The satyr scrambled off to do as she commanded and returned with a bottle full of water. _

Nico, if you're still alive- I am so sorry. If you're not…then it won't matter…_she mentally told him. _

_And then promptly poured the water over his head._

_The response was immediately. The coach gasped in horror while Nico sat up abruptly, sucked in a deep breath (plus plenty of water) and started to choke._

_Now it was Hedge's turn to shine, moving forwards, he thumped the boy hard on the back several times._

_The Son of Hades got a full minute of that 'life-saving' treatment. _

"_Stop. Stop…please…" Nico finally managed to croak feebly, "Are you trying to help me or… break my spine?"_

_Reyna couldn't stop the relieved grin that spread on her face. _

"_Did they teach you that at roman camp?" Nico asked her, "To pour water on unconscious people to wake them up?"_

_She wasn't sure if the Greek demigod was joking so she settled for a raised eyebrow, "No. We don't have any weaklings who faint from using their powers a bit."_

_Nico flushed angrily and pushed himself off the ground. _

_He pushed away Hedge who tried to assist him, "I'm fine." The coach shot her a look._

_So she had insulted the boy's pride or something? Pathetic. She couldn't resist pointing that out. _

"_We Romans are strong. Even your little sister doesn't pass out from using her powers," Reyna paused for effect, "She's so much worthy than you."_

"_I am not roman." He spat out. "Don't judge me by your standards."_

_There was a burning anger reflected in his eyes. She had meant to insult him, but he looked unnecessarily mad. His hand moved down to rest on his weapon and both Nico and Reyna had their swords half drawn when they paused at the sudden light that appeared a few metres away._

_They may have their disagreements, but killing possible monsters always came first._

_However, instead of a charging monster, an image of Frank's upper body appeared in a rainbow of colours. _

"_Iris Message," Nico slammed his weapon back into its scabbard and refused to look at her._

"_Nico?" The Son of Mars looked frantic. _

"_Frank." He stated evenly, "Is everything ok?"_

"_I am so sorry, so sorry- please…"_

"_What? Why?" Nico farrowed his eyebrows in confusion. _

_Frank, on the other hand, looked as if he was about to cry. "Hazel… she's been captured. We were attacked by… flying lion things and they took Hazel away!" _

_Nico's hand left gripped his sword hilt so hard that his knuckles looked as they could pop out any second. _

_Frank continued as if he had lost control of his mouth, "Also, we're stuck here on some island, the ship is damaged, but since Leo got knocked unconscious, we have to-"_

"_Say it again." The Son of Hades hissed._

"_Umm… we're stuck here on some island and-"_

"_Di-immortals!" Nico swore, "All seven of you together couldn't fight off a few manticores?" He looked mad enough to travel back to the ship and murder them all. _

_Franks stuttered a reply but Nico was no longer listening, choosing instead to murmur something to himself in what Reyna assumed was Italian and turn away from the Iris message. His hands clenched and unclenched by his side._

"_Dammit, Frank!" Nico stepped closer to the image again, and Frank stepped back hurriedly._

"_You promised me." He gritted his teeth, "You promised that you would protect her!"_

_It suddenly stuck Reyna that it was very cold. Strange voices whispered in the air, the ground began to tremble slightly. A few metres in front, with his back to her, Nico took several sharp breaths, he looked as if he was about to lose it. _

_The Praetor didn't want to find out what would happen if he lost control over those freaky death powers. Coach hurried forwards and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, the satyr stood on tiptoes and murmured something into his ear, hopefully a few words of encouragement, Reyna thought. _

_Nico shrugged the Coach off and swept a shaking hand through the Iris- message. He walked away, and the shadows embraced him and hid him from her view._

_As Hedge called desperately for the son of Hades to come back, Reyna could help but feel guilty at her relief for the reappearance of the weak sunlight._

oOo

**Did you enjoy that? More excitement coming up next week! Please fav and comment if you liked it! Constructive feedback is always welcome!**


	4. Chapter 3

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**Chapter 4**

While Coach continued his search for the runaway son of Hades, Reyna used her time effectively by chopping twigs from some nearby bushes to use as firewood for that night. The pathetic little pieces of woods looked more like kindling then burning material, but she was wary about going too far in that blasted fog.

As the Praetor steadily stripped all the surrounding vegetation, the sunlight slowly dimmed, and to her relief the fog faded too. But it was already too dark to see their surroundings clearly, and all her keen eyes could make out was that they appeared to be in a clearing surrounded by thick trees. The Athena Parthenos lay against one of the bigger trees and seemed to be fairly stable for the time being. She nodded her head in satisfaction- no one could possibly steal it when it was right under…no…over their noses.

She fed several more bits of wood to the fire before fumbling with freezing fingers to detangle their tent from the stack of discarded packs.

Luckily, Leo had created a special lightweight and self-assembling tent just for the three companions. It was big enough for two people and all their gear to fit comfortably inside, with waterproof and heat conserving material as covers. The best thing about the device was that it was self-assembling, as soon as one loosen the rope binding it, it would expand gradually until it was fully built. In other words- it was a masterpiece.

_If only we had these at camp_. Reyna made a mental note to hire Leo as she untied the binding and watched as the tent sprung up. One of the corners became stuck and she gave it a kick to help it unfold. _I think Coach Hedge is rubbing off on me_, she thought with a shudder.

Finally, her impromptu to-do-list exhausted, Reyna returned to the fire and waited.

The flames danced upon the naked blade resting by her leg, placed close to hand if needed. Her didn't even have to set her senses were on high alert- years of practise made it second nature. Meanwhile, the more philosophical part of her mind drifted.

_Snap._

Someone had carelessly stepped on a branch. Reyna picked up her sword, spun around in the expert motion and stopped just short of slicing Coach Hedge in half.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Reyna mumbled an apology, and quickly moved her sword away from the satyr's frowning face, "Where's Nico?"

Hedge sighed, "Couldn't find him, I can't see nothing in there," he jerked a thumb towards the dark clump of trees no more than ten metres away, "It's so dark that a man wouldn't see a Minotaur until it was breathing down his neck."

That remark did not to ease the panic that she felt, as if realising that he may have accidently worsen the solution, Coach dropped a heavy hand on her shoulder, "Don't you worry, cupcake. He's survived worse- anyone would if they lived in the Underworld most of the time!"

Reyna reeled in shock. Nico and his father must have a close relationship for the god to nominate him as ambassador, but a 'close' relationship for demigods meant seeing each other once a year.

_Nico lives in the Underworld? _Her mind took some time to process the amazing information.

On one hand, she felt jealous that the son of Hades had such strong relationship with his godly parent, but on the other, she pitied him- the Underworld was no healthy place for a moral, even if one was half god.

Reyna snapped back to the present and mentally berated herself for letting her thoughts carry her away. Beside her, sitting on the ground, Hedge was fumbling in his pack. Finally he dragged out a pile of tin cans and popped one his mouth, chewing it slowly as if relishing in its taste.

The coach looked pointedly at her and mumbled something, and then pointed to his bulging mouth. Probably something along the lines of: _are you going to eat too?_

Reyna realised that with shock that she was indeed hungry and after digging around in her bag, found a sandwich. She dug in gratefully, letting the mouth-watering aroma of cooked turkey guide her.

For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence. That is, if you don't count the constant chumping of tin cans.

Finally the coach finished his dinner and gave a resounding burp. "Go get some rest, I'll take first watch."

"What about Nico?"

"He'll be back; he's not one to forget the bigger picture."

Reyna felt her curiosity rising, "You sound as if you know him well." The last few words rose in a questioning pitch.

Hedge settled back, as if he was getting ready to tell a story, "I know _of_ him. We all do, when he and his sister arrived, we were told to keep away. And of course then was the –"

"Hazel went to Camp Half-Blood?" Reyna felt her mind clog up in confusion.

The satyr looked sad, "No, I mean his first sister, and by blood. Her name was Bianca."

"Was? Is she…?" Reyna felt herself trailing off, embarrassed. She felt like a stalker. But at the same time, suddenly the pieces that depicted Nico's life started to make a bit more sense.

The normally reserved warrior felt her heart go out to Nico. _His sister died_, her mind repeated, _and now Hazel was in danger as well_. She remembered that unexplainable loyalty and unbreakable bond that she shared with Hylla. If her sister died, and they didn't even get to say goodbye…no, Hylla was fine. Of course she was.

The Praetor fought to keep the sudden surge of fear that clutched at her heart.

The coach went on, staring into the fire, "Nico took it badly, he nearly destroyed himself physically and emotionally to extract revenge."

"What happened then?"

"He changed his mind." Hedge held her gaze, suddenly looking a lot wiser. "Percy must have persuaded him to, because a year later he led his father's armies against Kronos."

Reyna felt her jaw drop. "He _what_?"

Hedge grinned at her shocked expression suddenly, "That enough tales for you tonight, but the moral of the story is that Nico will be back. Don't you worry."

The demigod protector stood and hefted his club. "Go and get some rest, I'll wake you up in a few hours' time."

oOo

When _someone_ poked her awake that night, _someone_ was nearly skewered.

Even before she was awake, Reyna had drawn her sword and took an instinctive swipe at the direction from where the poke had come.

She opened her eyes, just registering the hovering face of Coach Hedge.

"Coach?"

"Yeah, you gonna try chop me again?"

Reyna scrambled up, her face flushed red. "No! I'm sorry, are you ok?"

Hedge grunted in reply, "No harm done, don't worry, cupcake." He showed her the half-chopped branch in his hand. "I've got practise waking up demigods."

The Praetor couldn't help but be impressed. "Is it my watch now?"

The satyr nodded in reply and she put on her armour with practised ease. She left the shin guards and vambraces off however, as the tiny buckles were too hard to do in the dim light.

She worded her thanks as Hedge handed her the imperial gold sword that was her preferred weapon.

"Have a good night then."

"Have a good watch," Hedge placed his club on the ground. Reyna turned to leave.

"Cupcake?"

"Yes…"

"Just letting you know- Nico's back." The coach rolled into his sleeping bag without another word.

oOo

She found Nico leaning against the truck of a large tree, staring numbly at emptiness.

Reyna wasn't sure what to say. She had always left the comforting to…other people. Being a leader demanded one to lose their grip on generosity and listen to one's mind more than one's heart.

"Nico?"

Red-rimmed eyes snapped to meet hers.

She smiled unsurely, "Welcome back… I suppose…"

Nico broken their eye contact, "I'm sorry for running off like that. It wouldn't happen again." His voice was monotone, as if he was giving a report.

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"Err… Are you going to be alright?"

"I don't know…" the demigod closed his eyes and sank back against the tree, "I just don't know anymore."

Reyna could feel the tension in the air increasing. It seemed colder.

This was out of her sphere of comfort. Her mind told her to just drop the matter and walk away, _it wouldn't matter anyways- you're not even friends with him,_ it reasoned. But her heart was a whole other matter.

The ground was so cold she almost jumped up as soon as she sat down. _Damn my kindness. _Nico opened his eyes at her sudden presence but made no remark.

"Coach Hedge told me about your sister," she left the sentence hanging, but it became obvious that he wasn't going to pick it up. "I'm sorry." She added lamely.

Silence.

The wind picked up, voices whispered in her ear. _Death… Pain... Revenge... Death…_

Nico reached clenched his hand around the pommel of the black sword laid next to him. The voices stopped abruptly. His breathe clouded in the air as he exhaled shakily.

Finally, he sighed, "I heard you guys talking."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I was standing in the shadows nearby," the son of Hades told her, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Reyna stood. There were few rare people that could creep her out. Nico was one of them. She did not enjoy sitting in the dark with a demigod with explosive powers, talking about his dead sister.

"Reyna?"

She paused in her path back to the campfire. "Yes?"

The young man seemed to mentally debate with himself for a bit, but then he spoke his mind "This morning was one of the closest I've ever come to losing control of my powers." He suddenly looked tired, "If I had, everything within a few dozen feet would have had their soul ripped out."

Fear clutched desperately at her heart. Only years of experience forced her to keep her face blank.

Her mouth stretched into a tight lipped grin, "Well, I'm glad you didn't."

"I am too. Hopefully the two of us can try not provoking each other again; you have no idea how hard my powers are to control."

Reyna looked into her companion's eyes and realised that he sincerely wasn't joking, or trying to taunting her.

She nodded her head, "Go to bed, I'll keep watch until the morning."

Nico stood slowly, "No, I'll take this watch," he nodded at her, "Can't sleep anyways."

Reyna considered his offer, for once the thought of a warm sleeping bag won over duty, "Alright then."

As she wormed gratefully back into the warm covers, she smiled.

A genuine one this time.

oOo

**AN: Thanks for reading! Please fav…review…follow if you liked! Some action coming up in the next chapter with the appearance of some monsters. Thanks! ~H**


	5. Chapter 4

**AN**_**-**_** Thanks to all those who faved, reviewed and just read through this week's chapter! Please keep it up! Reviews are the lifeblood of writers!**

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_**Without further ado…**_

**Chapter 4**

Reyna was distressed to find that she was the last one awake that morning.

She cursed herself in failing her duties as protector.There was no doubt that Nico and the Coach could take care of themselves, but they were still under _her_ protection and any harm that befell them under her watch would be unacceptable.

Therefore, she vowed to sleep lighter in the future.

_Not that there would be much chance,_ she told herself- today was the day that they were going to make the jump across the Atlantic.

Before departure she and Nico had planned their journey beforehand. The son of Hades insisted that they get as close as possible to New York and so Portugal was the best choice.

Either they succeeded or they didn't. In both cases, the quest ended today.

Outside, there was a clatter of cutlery and then Hedge's loud voice berating Nico for clumsiness. The young man's hissed something back in defence. She perked up her ears to see if any fights were going to occur.

Luckily, the incoherent murmur of conversation soon started up again.

Reyna felt herself sigh in relief, as a praetor there was nothing more important to her than ensuring the safety of her people. She would give her life in the blink of an eye to fulfil that purpose, but most importantly- she hoped her two companions understood that.

Wasting time now could result in the death of hundreds of demigods and innocents.

She quickly re-braided her hair, knowing that dangling hair could obstruct the view of approaching monsters. The praetor hoisted on her armour, groaning slightly as the heavy metal pressed down on her aching muscles.

The _sooner_ they got to camp, the better.

o0o

The daughter of Bellona was greeting by the sight of her two fellow travellers conversing over a weak, flickering fire.

The fog was back, but not as dense as yesterday. The statue of Athena still leaned against the huge tree and she thought the unfortunately vegetation was not as straight as it was yesterday.

Hedge jumped guiltily when she gilded up behind him and bid the two good morning.

"Ah! Are you trying to get me killed, girl?" Hedge spluttered out, "Yesterday she nearly chops me in half twice and now she spooks me so much that I spill boiling coffee all over myself!"

Nico looked uninterested, "Meh."

"What's in Hades is 'meh' supposed to mean?" Hedge demanded, desperately trying to wipe liquid off his pants.

The son of Hades frowned, "Don't use my father's name in vain!"

Reyna thought now it was a good time to jump in before any weapons were whipped out. She dropped a hand on the young man's shoulder, and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Sorry, Coach. If I had known you were holding a cup of hot liquid, I would have been more careful in my approach." She tried her best to look apologetic.

The satyr glared suspiciously at the two demigods, gaze moving back and forth between them.

"Humph!" he stood and hefted his club.

Reyna felt a sudden ripple of muscle as Nico's shoulder tensed. Her own hand instinctively moved to reach for a weapon.

But the coach only propped the baseball bat over his shoulder, "The first time I'll see my friends at camp in several months, and I looked like I peed my pants." He huffed, "Excuse me while I go and change."

After the angry goat left, the Praetor decided to take Hedge's seat and sat facing her companion.

To her surprise it was Nico who broke the awkward silence. "You want some coffee?"

He poured a cup of the hot drink and gave it to her.

Reyna drank, feeling her taste buds hum in pleasure as the rich, warm liquid flowed through her throat. "It's pretty good. Did you make it?"

"Nah, Coach did," the son of Hades took another sip from his own cup, "Are you ready to make the jump today?"

"Definitely. The question is- are _you_?"

Nico raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "Of course I am."

o0o

When Hedge emerged ten minutes later with new pants, the two demigods had already finished packing the bags.

Nico watched as his fellow demigod gave the tent a deft kick to disassemble it and sank back into his own thoughts.

He wondered what would happen when they got the camp. Could the three of them really persuade the Romans and Greeks, natural enemies for thousands of years, to stop fighting and unite? It's seemed too good be true that the _three_ of them could bridge the rift between two civilisations in no more than a week. He shook his head and turned to the matter concerning him the most.

Their quest had been too simple. No monster attacks. No kidnappings. Nothing dangerous at all.

There was no such thing as a free quest in a demigod's life. He suspected that something bad was about to happen very soon.

Behind him, Reyna and Hedge began a shouting match over who was to carry the heavier bag, and Nico drowned the useless argument.

He flexed his powers, feeling the satisfying faint hum that came when nearby shadows responded to his control.

_More,_ he whispered_. More_.

A familiar burning sensation built up in his chest. But as long as he kept a tight rein on his powers, everything should be fine.

It seemed that Reyna and Hedge had finally sorted out their argument. The Praetor looked smug as Coach heaved the heavier pack on. Nico joined them beside the Athena Parthenos.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Reyna held out her hands for the Hedge and Nico to take.

The satyr checked one last time that his club was in place, while Nico draped the ropes of the gigantic statue over his shoulders.

The companions held hands.

_Concentrate._ Nico pulled more power from a nearly unlimited reserve. The pain in his chest increased unbearably and constricted his breathing. _Focus._

Dimly, he heard a female's voice wishing him good luck, perhaps it was Reyna, or perhaps it was his own imagination.

Sounds and colours blurred together as spots danced in and out of his vision. Nico estimated that enough power had been built to transport them across the Atlantic Ocean now. Any more would be dangerous.

The familiar, cold sensation of travelling through shadows overtook him. He sighed in relief. The shadows were familiar and comforting.

He winced as his fingers were crushed in Reyna's iron grip. _Mental note to remind her about that later. _

_Camp-Half Blood, New York_, he told the mindless shapes that surrounded them. A reassuring wave of coldness soothed him. The shadows sped them towards their destination, feeding on his powers.

He struggled to pull up more power as the shadows quickly devoured the amount he had collected before the travelling began.

It hurt. A lot.

Gathering more power to feed the shadows while shadow travelling was definitely pushing boundaries. His father had warned him about the possible consequences of this action before- if the shadows got a directly link to his reserve of demigod power, they would suck him dry. Literally.

So Nico had to focus on drawing up power little by little to avoid the shadows noticing. It was pure agony. The burning sensation twisted around in his entire body. He wanted to curl up into a ball and die.

A scream was torn from his throat. Reyna tensed her grip even more.

His body was burning up. Not burning as in having a fever, but _on fire_. He had just found the limit to his powers.

Fire brought… Pain was… Torture reminded him of… _Tartarus._

A topic he'd tried to avoid since the beginning of this quest. He _never _wanted to remember the torture they had conducted on him again.

He had endured that for what seemed like years because time run differently in Tartarus.

Panic overwhelmed him. It was too hot. So hot that he couldn't even draw in a breath.

_Cold_, his mind screamed. _I need coldness right now!_

Abruptly they slammed into snowy ground. Nico felt his body slump and become unresponsive to his brain's furious commands to get up.

In the distant, he heard someone screaming something incomprehensible.

o0o

They had appeared once again on solid ground.

The dizzying sensation eased, but the coldness didn't. It took Reyna a few seconds to realise that it was because they were in the middle some kind of open ground, covered with snow.

This couldn't be Camp-Half Blood.

Nevertheless, in her role as protector of the three the praetor was the first to look around, so she was the first to see a bright ball of light arcing towards them.

"Get down!"

She tackled Coach Hedge to the ground and realised that she had left Nico in the path of danger.

But she needn't have worried.

The son of Hades had collapsed on to the ground the moment they arrived. Reyna thought it probably saved his life.

The fireball sailed over their heads for another few dozen metres and hissed as it landed in the snow and was snuffed out.

Her fighting instincts kicked in immediately; there were definite advantages to being a daughter of Bellona. It took her no more than a few seconds to see the hydra and was roaring it's fury at them about a hundred metres away.

She discarded her pack and untied her imperial gold spear.

Beside her, Coach got up from the snow and screamed a battle cry, and charge towards the monster before Reyna could stop him.

"Come and get it, monster!" He yelled. The Hydra rose to the challenge, surprising the satyr briefly at the distance it managed to cover so quickly. The goat-man leapt on to its back and started to whack one of its two heads with his club.

The creature roared in fury. It's other head turned and trying to unsuccessfully blow fire at its attacker. Reyna decided it was a good time to join the battle.

With an imperial gold sword in her right hand and a spear in the other; she was the very picture of a fearless Roman in battle.

She swiped at the Hydra and followed with a thrust of her spear. But the monster was wicked fast and managed to dodge both attacks.

The monster swiped at her with its claws, and she managed to deflect it aside with her sword.

They were locked in combat with several minutes, neither giving way. Soon Reyna realised that having two weapons in this kind of battle only restricted movement. She wasn't fighting with another demigod who could potential use her discarded weapon against her. No, she was trying to kill a monster- a mindless beast that just wanted the taste of demigod flesh, and nothing more.

She contemplated on which weapon to discard. Her sword was definitely lighter and easier to use, but the spear had more reach and was sturdier. The warrior tossed the former away and prepared to find an opening in the Hydra's defences.

Above Hedge was still clinging to the Hydra's head, but no longer hitting it. He had lost his club and was desperately holding on.

The monster roared in anger and continued to shake its head, stomping it's feet to increase the turbulence. Finally the Coach flew off, struck the trunk of a huge tree and was too stunned to get up.

Reyna felt the rush of battle and angry race through her blood and fought to control it. Adrenaline made people stronger, but more prone to mistakes, and ultimately an untimely death.

Strength and intelligence was the way to win battles. Not strength and more strength.

The hydra spat out another fireball and she had to leap out of the way to avoid getting hit. The back of her armour was scraped by the projectile, and Reyna had to roll in the snow twice to cold the metal down.

At the base of the tree, Hedge stirred and tried to stand up, "I'll give you a bashing! Are you scared? Com'n cupcake!"

The monsters turned its attention to source of the yelling.

_That satyr just didn't know when to shut up. _The praetor used this time to glance at Nico. He seemed to be still unconscious. _Definitely no help there then,_ she thought. The Hydra snaked towards Hedge, who was still glaring defiantly at it.

She sighed, wondering if the following, desperate action was going to get her killed.

"Here!" she waved her arms and jumped up and down to attract the monster's attention, "come here, you big worm! Come and get me!"

The beast considered this new invitation. It figured that the fat goat-man probably didn't taste as good as the demigod, so it lumbered after the latter.

Reyna took off, running about thirty metres away from her two companions, hopefully giving Hedge time to recover enough to fight if she was killed.

Lessons back at Camp Jupiter had taught her that while a Hydra's back and sides were protected by almost impenetrable skin, the skin under its neck was more delicate.

The Hydra approached slowly, smart enough to know that there was no need to rush and that its prey could not possibly outrun it.

As it approached Reyna knelt on the ground and placed the butt of her spear in the snow and left the sharp, glinting tip pointed above. It reminded her of boar hunting.

The monster paused and glared suspiciously at her, before deciding that its prey had given up. It screamed its triumph to the sky in screams that resonated in her head.

The Hydra reared back and prepared to bear down with all its might to take the first delicious bite.

Suddenly, Reyna realised something horrifyingly wrong with her plan.

There was nothing to brace the spear against!

The snow was deeper than she thought, and while she could walk on it fine, having a larger area, the spear's end sank deeper and deeper into the snow. She almost screamed in frustration. She had survived wars, assassins, Titans and not she was going to die out here because she made a stupid plan.

But it was too late to move now, so Reyna held the spear as sturdy as she could and glanced up bravely at the huge, red jaws that were about to descend upon her.

o0o

**AN:**** I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have fun with the cliff-hanger! Please favourite/follow/comment if you liked it! Much appreciated! All feedback is welcome! **

**Will update the next chapter this Sunday! ~H**


	6. Chapter 5

**AN****: Hello everyone!****I have put on a new cover for the story, what do you guys think? Once again, my thanks to all those who are reading this story! Especially to those who have reviewed! (You know who you are!) Starting from tomorrow I will personally send out PMs thanking you all for your support!**

**Now, let's fix this cliff hanger!**

**.**

**Chapter 5**

As a demigod, Reyna had known that one day her luck was going to run out.

Perhaps it was because of the blood of Bellona flowing through her veins, but she had always imagined that her death would come in some glorious battle, while defending the honour of Rome.

It was probably the dream of every true warrior.

As the Hydra threw its head back and roar out its victory, she felt nothing but hate.

Hate for the monster that would take away her dreams. Hate for her stupid plan that got her into the situation.

It was nothing amazingly philosophical about it, no- just the last thoughts of a warrior who was denied the chance to go down fighting.

Sharp teeth and a blood red maw would be her last view of the world.

They had failed. The two camps would never be united. Gaea would rise.

Fear kept her mind frozen, but her hands shaking constantly. _Such unfairness._

Suddenly, a strange event occurred.

Her spear, which had literally been shaking a moment ago (due to her unsteady hands) suddenly stilled. It was as if another pair of hands had come to help her support it.

And just in time! The hydra smashed down on her, and the sharp tip of the spear pressed against the flesh under its neck. The normally, sturdy oak handle bent alarmingly… but didn't break, and leaned its weight into something miraculously solid in the snow.

The Praetor found herself transfixed with horror as the Hydra was impaled by the spear due to its own momentum, but she didn't dare look down to see what had kept the spear in place. It seemed all too possible that the monster would gobble her up with its remaining strength.

But no.

Heat rolled off the dying monster and singed her hair. There was a flash of light and the Hydra exploded into yellowish dust. The filthy particles swirled in the weak morning light and settled wherever they could find.

All was silent.

What was it that saved her? What was the solid object that had borne the weight of her weapon? It certainly wasn't her hands; by the way she could feel them still shaking uncontrollably.

Reyna looked down slowly and felt her breathe catch. She must have sat there for several minutes staring in amazement at her spear, which now stood freely, as if it had risen out of the ground.

A thick layer of black rocks that had seemingly crystallised on the shaft.

She kicked away the snow at the base and found more of the mineral under the snow around the base of her weapon. The rock had seemingly risen out of the ground and ran up the spear to both provide something to brace against and a hand to steady the weapon.

Realisation dawned upon her.

_Nico. _

The son of Hades had effectively saved her life with his geokinesis powers.

She found herself laughing and didn't know if it was right to be grateful that she wasn't going to join Nico's family below that day.

oOo

After making sure that Nico was still breathing, Hedge 'volunteered' to get some rest first. Reyna didn't really care- she needed some time to think anyways.

A few hours later, when evening came around, a loud yawn broken her concentration as she stroked a small fire. Reyna turned to see Hedge exiting the tent. The son of Hades was still out, so the two of them shared a light dinner and eventually the satyr relieved her watch.

It was nice and warm in the tent, and the Praetor checked that Nico was comfortable before lying down as well. Coach had removed his armour, and now the young man looked satisfied in a t-shirt under a pile of covers. His soft, misty breathing paced the silence.

The dreams she had made her regret going to sleep.

She was floating.

All around was darkness.

The feeling reminded her of shadow-travelling, only without the familiar and comforting feeling of two hands to hold on to.

A woman's voice pierced her thoughts.

"_Praetor of Rome…"_ it whispered, as it if the owner was just waking up. _"I am Gaea."_

Reyna felt herself shiver at the cold, calculating tone of the voice. It was merciless and ancient. She knew it was older than the gods… older than time… and filled with malicious intent.

She did not dare speak.

The Goddess chuckled, _"Join me, Reyna. You know your quest is hopeless. I have heard the doubt you contain in your mind. The three of you cannot possible heal the rift between two civilizations destined to be enemies. Join me and I will let your friends live."_

Reyna managed to shake her head. Floating in this shapeless, sinister void disturbed her greatly.

Gaea began to speak again, this time with a hint of hurt in her voice, _"alas child, you do not believe me. The gods have turned you against me."_

A light breeze stroked her hair. _"I am mother earth, I am the one that gave the Titans life, and they in turn the gods. Yet I was lured into a deep sleep by my descendants, left with no choice but to see my children destroy the world I love and helped create." _

A deep, regretful sigh followed.

"_I am giving you a choice. Give up this ridiculous quest, surrender to me, and I will allow you demigods to live in peace once my brethren have taken back what is rightfully ours."_

The demigod finally found her voice, "Why would you do that? Why would you allow a race so full of hatred of you live?"

"_Because..."_ the goddess paused for a moment, "_no matter how much you hate me, we are family, and we must look after each other in this cruel world."_

The Praetor hesitated.

Could there be truth in what the Goddess was saying? The gods had indeed abandoned their children. Could Gaea's rule be any worse than that?

"_I sense your thoughts. Of course I am right." _Gaea pressed, _"The gods have abandoned their children."_

"_I am giving you a choice, Praetor, because out of all your friends- you are the most intelligent."_ The goddess whispered, _"Take up my offer before it's too late."_

Reyna found it hard to speak, "What will happen if I don't?" she managed to croak out.

Twinkling laughter. She could imagine the Goddess smiling mockingly at her.

"_Well…let me show you. Shall we start with Nico?"_

oOo

_Reyna seemed to be floating in the air. _

_Below, an army of skeletons marched along an abandoned, muddy road, keeping a steady pace despite being pelted with rain. _

_Hollow eye sockets stared blankly ahead. Feet stomped in the mud. _

_A sickly smell of death and foreboding lingered around them like a thundercloud. _

_There could easily have been thousands. _

_The soldiers didn't care that they were wet and soaked to the bone. They would follow whatever their young commander told them to do. That was their purpose in life- to do their commander's bidding. _

_In this case, their commander had told them to march along this road, and so be it. _

_The soldiers marched in one big cluster that at a closer look was revealed to be a complex, ever moving formation. _

_Every few lines had a leader on horseback. These were captains dressed in uniform, which must have looked better than not covered with mud. They directed their men with rapiers, and rode on horses that were similarly devoid of any flesh. _

_Every once awhile, some creaking commands would be shouted out and the soldiers would begin to move in a certain pre-arranged pattern. _

_The Praetor of New Rome was astonished that dead soldiers could be so orderly. Their commander must be one remarkable person. _

_Suddenly havoc broke out. Skeletons crashed into each other and some even began milling around aimlessly. Captains shouted commands that were lost in the din of stomping feet and clashing weapons. _

_A bugle sounded in the distance. One sharp note pierced the confusion. Silence fell._

_Below her, the vast troop parted down the middle, and a small group of riders raced through the passage to the front lines, where some sort of incident seemed to have occurred. _

_She willed herself to follow. _

_At the front of the army, the riders stopped. An armoured man clambered down from his horse, movements made awkward by a blood soaked bandage around his thigh. His fellow riders followed suit. Nearby foot soldiers backed away to a respectful distance._

_The man, who must have been the commander, moved forwards with hurried, disgruntled movements. His dull, red cloak dragged in the mud. _

"_Why have we stopped?" he demanded._

_Reyna jerked back in surprise. The commander's voice was much younger than she's expected, and so very familiar._

_The young man removed his helmet and pushed back rain matted hair to reveal the irritated features of Nico. _

_He passed the headgear to a waiting attendant. "Well?"_

_One of the front line captains stepped forwards, "we found a body, my lord."_

_The son of Hades winced, his hand dropped to grip his wounded thigh. "So what? We see bodies all the time." He turned to leave, "resume forward march."_

_The captain didn't move, "perhaps, you should see her, my lord."_

_Nico turned back, fear alighting in his eyes. "Her? Who? Show me!"_

_Four soldiers baring a body moved within sight. Reyna noticed that the son of Hades turned pale with terror. _

_His breath hitched, "no."_

_The young man limped forwards and sank down beside the mangled body of a very familiar girl. "No."_

"_At least she's no longer in any pain, my lord." The captain offered to the shaking demigod. _

_Nico clutched the corpse to his chest and buried his face into her hair. His body shook uncontrollably. _

"_My lord, she-"_

"_No more!" Nico's voice broke, "please…don't tell me… No more. No more." The boy resorted to murmuring senseless comfort in Italian._

_For a few minutes there was only a heavy silence. _

_Then Nico collected himself and rose, his injured leg barely supporting his weight. He shrugged off offers of help from his fellow officers and hoisted him up on his horse again. Reyna saw fresh blood run down his leg due to these harsh exertions. _

"_I'll kill them," he whispered._

_There was something that Reyna couldn't place in his eyes. Something insane and wild, fuelled by hate and thoughts of revenge._

"_They lied to me," he murmured brokenly. He screamed out his grief and to the sky in an incoherent wail. _

_The soldiers remained silent. _

"_Give her the proper burial rites," Nico commanded. He drew his sword and dug his spurs cruelly into his battle horse's flanks, and the animal lumbered into a trot. "I'll kill them all," he promised with one last look at the body of the girl._

_A war horn sounded. _

_The army followed in the path of their commander._

_Only a dozen soldiers were left. They gathered up the girl's dripping body and Reyna couldn't hold back a gasp as she felt herself staring in the lifeless eyes of Hazel Levesque. _

oOo

Reyna snapped back to consciousness. Her breath came in fast, sharp gasps. All around was darkness.

She looked around and was reassured by the normalcy of her surroundings. Less than a metre away, Nico slept peacefully. His chest rose as he inhaled.

Suddenly, she felt the weight of responsible fall on her. Could it be her stubbornness and refusal to join Gaea that would indirectly cause the death of Hazel, and turn Nico into a cold-blooded killer?

She was sure Gaea had more horrible fates planned for the rest of her friends.

The image of Hazel's lifeless gaze burned into her mind. Now, here in the dark, it was still so very real.

Reyna shivered. Besides her, Nico shifted in his sleep and muttered something too soft to make out. But he didn't seem to be in any danger, and that's all that mattered.

She left Nico to his dreams and let sleep embrace her again.

oOo

Waking to the sound of Hedge and Nico having a full blown argument right outside the tent was not something desirable.

Reyna grabbed her weapon and marched outside where her companions ignored her and continued arguing.

"We have to tell her!" Coach declared.

Nico looked as he was about to murder someone, "I told you, it's going to happen anyway!"

"You know she wouldn't!" the satyr retorted, "If we tell her, we can stop it!"

"No! I know it's going to happen. I saw it!"

Reyna came to a stop beside Coach Hedge, "What are you guys shouting about?"

Nico refused to meet her gaze. Her other companion sighed.

"Nico had a disturbing dream that I think he should share with you, but he refuses."

The warrior turned to him, "Why? What did you see?"

Hedge gave the son of Hades a pointed look. "Go on!"

The young sighed, "Fine. I saw you."

Reyna was confused, "Me? What about me?" _Was something terrible about to befall her?_

Nico took a deep breath and released it in a white mist, "I saw you standing over my corpse."

The Praetor felt shock run through her, "No… it's just a dream, Nico. Gaea was probably playing with your mind." _Just like she was with mine. _

Nico gave her a look filled with disbelief, "Well, there's more."

Coach started, "More? What more could there be?"

His next words made Reyna feel as if the world had been pulled out from under her feet.

"I saw her standing over my dead body…" The son of Hades turned away, looking almost afraid to say more.

"…and she was smiling."

.

oOo

**AN:**** Well, the action is just starting! What do you guys think? Any suggestions, feedback, constructive criticism is most welcome! PLEASE REVIEW! I would love to see what you guys think and hear your suggestions. Don't forget the PM's going out tomorrow!**

**Once again, my sincere thanks to all those who are reading this story! I've love to hear from each and every one of you! See ya next week! ~H.**


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: ****Hopefully some of you have been waiting for this! It may seem a bit out of place, but trust me; it will all come to a point soon. Thanks for the awesome, enthusiastic PM responses I got last week! Hope you enjoy!**

**Here is it!**

**.**

**Chapter 6**

Breakfast was eaten in silence. Even Hedge didn't have something optimistic to say for once. Nico looked as if he lacked sleep, and resorted to muttering curses under his breathe at nothing in particular.

The three of them finished stuffing themselves with tasteless food and son of Hades stood.

"I checked our supplies last night, and worked out there's enough to last us two days at most," he announced, "We also need to find out where we are. I'm going to see if I can get some supplies from people nearby."

"Don't be daft," Hedge said, "who'd be living in all this snow? An' how are you supposed to find them?"

Nico didn't meet his eyes, "I saw a column of smoke over those hills this morning, I'll head off in the general direction and see if there's anyone."

"What if there are monsters?" Reyna questioned, "You're in no condition to defend yourself."

"I'll be fine."

"I'm coming with you."

The young man started to object but then thought better of it, "Come if you want, I don't care. If I'm going to die, then it doesn't matter when."

Coach looked worried, "maybe I ought to-"

But Nico shook his head, "No, she can do what she likes."

He turned without a word and started off in the direction where he mentioned.

"Go on then, cupcake." Hedge gave the dazed Praetor a gentle shove, "and be careful."

oOo

Nico was aware of the long silence that stretched between himself and Reyna. He still found it hard to believe that Reyna would murder him, or at least be glad that about his death.

The vile images swirled around in his mind and refused to go away. The smell of blood filled the air and his breakfast threatened to emerge.

Behind him, Reyna called to him "Nico, slow down. Wait for me."

He slowed his pace, "What?"

The Praetor caught up to him finally, "Look, I just wanted to say thanks, you know- for saving my life yesterday."

It was an attempted to strike up a conversation and Nico knew it. He really didn't feel like talking today. He had a pounding headache, and he was sure one of his ribs was bruised due to a bad landing yesterday.

Plus, they were stuck in the middle of nowhere with the fate of the world on their shoulders. Not the mention that fact that one of his quest companions was going to kill him and be happy about it.

To sum it up- life sucked.

"Nico?"

He kept walking, and soon Reyna gave up trying to make conversation.

oOo

Eventually, the two clambered over a large hill to find a farmhouse no more than a few hundred metres away. It was the kind that was always showed in pictures of romanticised places high up in the mountains.

They were both panting when they arrived and the sound of cows mooing and sheep bleating gave the first sign of occupation. Other than that, the place looked rundown enough to be deserted.

"Should we knock on the door?"

Nico cocked his hear to one side, "No, someone's in the barn."

He set off with large loping steps without waiting for her reply.

The barn was an ancient place with timber roofs that creaked ominously. A cloud of dust rushed to meet the morning air when he pushed open the gate.

"Hello?" Nico called out. Something moved in the room. "Who's there?"

Suddenly a figure leapt out from behind a pile of hay wielding a shovel, with which they waved around wildly.

Nico caught the make-shift weapon as it sailed towards his head and wrestled it out of his attacker's hand. Reyna drew her sword and found herself face to face with an old woman.

"Thieves!" she spat, pelting the two demigods with spittle.

Nico looked shocked as the old woman hobbled over and jabbed him in the chest with an ancient finger, "Err… No, madam. We're lost actually. We came to ask for help and food."

"Not thieves?" she glared at them suspiciously, "You ask for my help? You buy food?"

Reyna pulled Nico aside and took charge, "That's right, madam. We're just here to buy food and ask where we are."

The old woman whipped her head around and stared at her. "Not thieves?"

"Of course not," the Praetor told her soothingly.

Abruptly, the old woman smiled, showing them a mouthful of yellow, crooked teeth. "Well, come on then."

oOo

Every piece of furniture inside was covered with a thick coat of dust. The old woman gestured to the couches.

"Sit down, dears."

When they hesitated, unwilling to have a dust shower, she _helped_ them buy scraping the grime off. A cloud of dirt enveloped them both. Nico coughed weakly, waving a hand in front of his face.

The old woman sniggered and rewarded them with another disgusting smile, "Wait, my dears." She turn into the corridor and disappeared further into the house.

Reyna turned to her choking companion, "You ok?"

"Yeah," the demigod spluttered, "I'm fine."

Soon, loud thumping footsteps sounded nearby, and the old woman returned with another man.

She gestured, "This is my husband. We have discussed the matter of selling supplies to you and agreed that we will do so at the right price."

Reyna was about to tell the old couple that they didn't have any money when Nico drew something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

For a moment the four of them stared at it in silence, until the old man picked it up, "Well," his voice was quiet, unlike his wife's, "I'm sure we can come to an agreement with if this is what you're offering. Is this real, boy?"

"Of course it is."

The old couple swarmed over the gold bar, whispering eagerly. The old woman went as far as biting it with her teeth.

Nico smiled hesitantly at the pair of them, "we need basic supplies, food and such. There's also a question we'd like to ask you."

The old man gestured for him to go on.

"Where are we?"

The old woman shot out a hand and waved it under Nico's nose.

"Must I?" he sighed, slipped his hand inside his pocket and presented her with a gold coin.

She looked infuriated that it wasn't a whole bar of gold. "Iceland."

"Wait here," the man told them, "we'll go check the stocks to see what we can spare."

As soon as they left, an awkward silence fell in the room. Nico headed over to the other side of the room to look at a boar's head mounted on the wall, muttering to himself about maps and directions.

Reyna examined the various photos displayed above a dusty timeworn fireplace.

In one picture titled _'Happiest day of our life- 23 February 1926'_ showed a cheerful groom about to carry his bride into a log cabin. They were both smiling.

Some more photos lay about, most of them contained the same two people doing different things- fishing, eating, and riding in a shiny car. But nothing that really caught her attention.

_Was she looking for something?_ Reyna wasn't sure, but soon one made her stop in her tracks.

The picture was taken in front of the farmhouse. It was the old couple. Both were smiling warmly at the camera, the old, withered man was in a wheelchair, reaching up to hold his wife's hand in his.

She jerked back in surprise- the man they had seen was definitely capable of walking.

Furthermore the picture was titled _'60 years of love- 23 February 1986'_.

Something was definitely wrong.

The Praetor burst into the living room and Nico turned to her in surprise, "What's wrong?" His hand dropped to grip his weapon.

"I saw a photo…"

The son of Hades scoffed, "Really Reyna? I once saw a photo too!"

She ignored his sarcastic tone, "Listen, in this photo the old man was disabled- but he was walking just then."

"So what?" Nico didn't seem to be listening anymore and turned back to whatever he was looking at before, "maybe he had surgery? Or they were just acting in the photo?"

"But the photo was dated 1986 and since they were already old then, they'd be more than a hundred by now!"

"Lots of people live to one hundred these days."

"And just then they looked so...evil," she finished lamely.

Nico turned to her, looking annoyed, "Reyna, you're just being paranoid." He sighed, "Look, if two kids suddenly turned up at your house for out of the blue, wouldn't you act like that too?"

He had a point, but she wasn't going to back down that easily, "Stop making excuses for them. There's something wrong here."

"Whatever you say."

Reyna moved forwards. "What are you looking at?"

Nico didn't answer, choosing instead to continue stare transfixed at the vast display of weapons on the table in front of him. Swords, knives, bows with arrows and various other dangerous looking tools were neatly arranged like a jigsaw puzzle.

"They have quite a collection," he murmured, "and they're in such good quality too."

He was right. Each weapon had been polished and sharpened to a dangerous degree. Well kept, unlike the rest of the dusty, age worn items in the house.

"Don't you think that's strange?" Reyna queried.

"Yeah…a bit" Nico admitted, "but that doesn't make them blood-thirsty killers."

"Whatever. I'm going to check the bedrooms." She went further into the house, ignoring Nico's protests of privacy violation.

The bedrooms were in an equally poor state, nearly an inch covered the bed. It seemed as if no one had been here in years.

There were footsteps and talking in the living room now. Nico yelled. Something growled in reply. A crash followed.

She burst out of the room to halt in surprise at the sight of the old woman attempt to smash the son of Hades with a large mace. Nico dodged and the weapon sailed over his head. The crazed attacker snarled a challenge. Then she turned and spotted Reyna.

"Kill them!" she screamed.

Her husband was by the table of weapons, with an equally hungry look in his eyes. He picked up handful of small knives and flung them at Nico. The young man managed to dodge most of them and deflected on off his sword. One sank into his shoulder between a gap in his armour. The demigod ignored it.

"They're shape shifters," he yelled to her as the old man picked up a spear and hefted it.

She ducked out of the way behind a sofa and felt a whoosh as the weapon just missed her. _Too close._

That was what the monster had been intending, for when she rose again he was already coming at her with a sword. He feinted to her left side, intending for her to step back. Instead, she stepped forwards.

The monster was caught off guard and unbalanced and she took the opportunity to stick her sword through its chest.

He dispersed into yellow dust._ Easy._

On the other side of the room the female shape shifter had given up trying to smash Nico with a mace. The weapon was too heavy to keep swinging around and the young man was quite fast. She dropped the spiked metal ball and tackled the son of Hades to the ground.

They grappled for a bit, each trying the get the upper hand. Reyna hurried over, but couldn't help for fear of accidently stabbing Nico.

Finally the Nico managed to get his hands around the woman's throat and pin her to the ground. He tried to choke her, but cried out in pain and released his grip when the monster grabbed the hilt of the knife in his shoulder and twisted.

The demigod staggered away, blood running freely down his arm. His attacker chuckled gleefully and chased after him.

Reyna decided it was a good time to step in and plunged her sword into the preoccupied monster's back. It let out a wail and disappeared in yellow dust.

Nico sank into one of the dusty couches. Reyna hurried over, "Are you okay?"

He groaned and proceeded to pull out the knife, "I'll live."

Reyna unclipped a bottle of nectar from her belt, "Here."

The son of Hades poured some over his wound. He flexed the injured limb and winced. "Let's get what we need and get out of here."

Reyna didn't feel like pointing out that she was right to be suspicious, so she just nodded. "Search around and gather what we need, I saw some sacks early in the barn, I'll go get them."

oOo

When she came back, Nico had a whole collection of food ready to be packed. He had also decided to bring along a few packs of throwing knives.

"What's with the knives?"

He shrugged, "They could come in handy. There's heaps of other good weapons too, take your pick."

"I'll have a look," Reyna eventually found a bow that appealed to her. It was quite simple, used more for hunting than warfare. She wasn't much of an archer, but she _could _shoot and having a long ranged weapon may prove handy.

"I'll take this one."

Nico raised an eyebrow, "Fine. By the way, I found a few bottles of nectar and some ambrosia in one of the drawers," he showed them to her, "turns out the real old couple were demigods."

"They should have known not to veer so far from Camp," Reyna was annoyed at their foolishness.

The son of Hades continued to stuff items into the two sacks she'd brought in, "They were old, maybe they just wanted to live out the rest of their life in freedom."

Reyna wasn't convinced, "Hmm… Let's go back before Coach comes looking for us."

.

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**AN: Please review and favourite if you liked this week's update! Some more action coming with the next update where every mystery so far will be explained :)**


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: ****Here it is! To all those of you that was curious about Nico's possible death predicted earlier on- this is for you. **

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**Chapter 7**

Reyna jolted awake as a scream sounded and cut off abruptly.

Rolling out of her warm sleeping bag and grabbing her imperial gold sword had become a practised motion now and she managed it in record time. Adrenaline roared through her blood, preparing for a fight with any monsters that may be outside.

The moment she ran out of her tent she nearly tripped over some random bag lying on the ground.

_Stupid satyr must stop leaving bags everywhere_. She made a mental note to tell Hedge about the potential safety hazards of his actions later.

The warrior shuffled closer to the centre of the makeshift camp, holding her sword in a defensive position the entire time. The fire had gone out, leaving nothing behind but blackened ashes and a trail of smoke that made her cough.

A strange thought occurred to her. Surely Hedge and Nico would have heard the scream too, so why were they not out scouring the campsite?

In fact, the last watch was Nico's but he was nowhere to be seen. Even though she sometimes found herself doubting the young man's loyalty, she didn't doubt his hearing or reflexes. Something must have been keeping him away from here.

The first rays of the dim morning light filtered through the trees, and did nothing to in the way of providing warmth. Reyna's breath came out as a white mist and she found herself shivering. Where the hell was Nico? Or Hedge?

The sudden thought that they had abandoned her to die in the frozen wilderness of Iceland made her ground her teeth. _Greek scum- no good ever came from working with them._

Frustrated, she reasoned that if they left her to die then the best thing for her to do was to not die. With the thought in mind, she moved closer and decided to relight the fire.

As the Praetor started poking the remains of the fire with her sword, she saw drops of red which stuck out so clearly in the white snow that she berated herself for not noticing earlier.

The trail of what was probably blood led to the sack that she had nearly tripped near the entrance of their tent.

Except at closer inspection it was no sack- No, it was Nico lying face down in the snow.

The praetor quickly turned the young man over and was horrified to find his front sopping with blood. His fingers were loosely clenched around his sword hilt.

Something sharp, most likely a sword had punctured his armour directly into his abdomen. Reyna pressed two fingers against his neck to find it cold and silent.

His eyes, which had always been so full of anger or determination was staring emptily to the sky.

_Nico was dead._

Then the horror of the realisation struck home and for a moment she could only kneel there in shock. Here was the loss of a valuable life, the loss of someone to be missed.

And this changed everything. Nico wasn't a traitor; in fact he was a hero for using the last of his strength to warn Reyna about whatever it was that had fatally wounded him.

But the more horrifying thought was what if I could have saved him? If I had noticed him lying there earlier, could I have saved him?

Then come along the thought that his killer was still on the loose. It could be a monster, or even Hedge…

"I'm so sorry, Nico," she whispered, "So…so…sorry…"

A sudden presence behind her made her reach for her sword.

"What's wrong? Why are you apologising?"

Reyna whipped around in shock to find Nico standing behind her with a suspicious expression and with his sword drawn.

oOo

Hedge sauntered up behind the young man and looked questioningly at her, "What are you two standing around for?"

"You're dead!"

Nico looked taken back, "What?"

Reyna went to point out the dead body on the ground to find it gone. She pointed her sword at him, "I saw you! You were right there and you were dead!"

"What are you talking about?"

Hedge stepped in, "He's been with me the whole morning, and of course he's not dead!"

The son of Hades nodded in agreement, "Reyna, are you sure-"

Suddenly, there was a flash of movement and a shadow slammed into Nico and there was some tumbling and a shower of snow.

Hedge called out in alarm and Reyna couldn't help but raise a hand to protect her eyes from the spray.

When the mist and snow cleared, two Nico's faced each other. They were identical, from their clothing to their expression. Both seemed just as surprised to see another copy of themselves.

"What in the name of Zeus are you?" one demanded.

"You're a shape shifter!" the other declared.

The former edged closer to where she stood, "Reyna, I'll take him from the left; you attack from the right, ok?"

"No!" The latter called out, "Don't believe him! I'm Nico!"

They two Nico's circled each other, knowing that they'd have to settle this by themselves. Reyna couldn't help but fear that the real Nico would be no match for the monster in his still weak state.

Without warning, the two moved forwards to clash their swords together and begin the deadly dance of battle.

The one on the left feinted to the right, but had to dodge as the other performed a forwards swipe.

They moved in a deadly rhythm where one misstep or one moment of carelessness could mean death.

The two black swords clashed, spat sparks and screeched as their owners pressed to get an advantage.

Finally one of them swiped his sword at the other's non-sword side, forcing his opponent to block, and attempted a quick slide downwards to disarm. However, his opponent was as smart as he was fast, instead of incepting, stepped backwards so that the attacker found himself hitting air and unbalanced.

In that second of unbalance, the was-defender swung his weapon in a smooth, deadly cut aimed to decapitate. The battle was not so easily won though, the disadvantaged was-attacker recovered just in time to block the blade a few centimetres from his neck.

As one tried to press home his advantage and the other desperately fought for survival, Reyna and Hedge could only watch helplessly, not knowing who to help.

"Reyna! Kill him!" defender Nico shouted, "Quickly! While I've got him locked!"

The other gritted his teeth, "Stand back, I've got this!"

Slowly the attacker began to give ground, the swords moved slighting back, but then a new surge of strength took over and the weapons pushed down again.

Reyna was impressed at Nico's strength; defending against or attacking a monster with a few thousand more years of experience was quite hard.

The defending Nico was forced to his knees as the other's blade pressed closer to his neck. His arm trembled with the effort of keeping his own weapon up.

"Reyna, help me- please!"

She hesitated, _what if that was the real Nico? _

But then underlying her concern was the question of, _what if it wasn't?_ Still, perhaps it was better use some other method other than fighting to work out the truth?

As she started to move forwards, something moved in her peripheral vision and she instinctively dodged. Something whizzed past, very close to her head.

The Nico still kneeling on the ground cried out.

Reyna was horrified to see that a sharp arrow like object had penetrated into his right forearm. The monster, which stood triumphantly over him, had sprouted a harpoon like tail.

Now, the weapon was roughly withdraw, the curled back point was pulled out, tearing through flesh and armour. The son of Hades screamed in pain and clutched his arm, desperately trying to steady stream of blood that appeared.

His injured arm was too weak to hold up his sword and so he dropped it, and waited for a deadly blade's fall, swaying and too dazed with pain to do anything.

Reyna's sword stopped the shape shifter's in the middle of a powerful downwards swing as Hedge tackled the monster from behind.

Now was the time to act, but with Hedge still struggling, she could hit him. But if her aim was true, then one simple swipe of the sword should do it.

She circled the struggling pair, until finally the monster's front was exposed. A quick stab of the sword and he went limp. Hedge dumped the body on the ground. For a moment, she observed the monster.

Its face was frighteningly identical to the son of Hades even in death, but as she watched its form began to flicker and fade.

She grinned at this momentary victory, but then Nico called out to her from behind and she hurried over.

oOo

The son of Hades was pale and shaking- probably from the cold. But it could be that he was going into shock as well.

"I'm so sorry," he stuttered, "so sorry."

She struggled to lean him against her, "Coach! Come and here help me."

Hedge abandoned the monster's body and came over to lend a hand. He gripped Nico's shirt, which was sopping with icy water and blood and dragged him to a half sitting position.

Nico murmured that he was sorry again. Reyna thought about asking him, but decided against it. Time was the essence now. They had to assess and treat his injury before anything else.

While an arm wound itself was rarely fatal, blood loss was definitely a leading cause of death. As a general rule the earlier a wound was cleaned and bound the lower the fatality rate.

The first challenge was actually getting to the wound. The Praetor found that when the shape shifter's tail had dug into the demigod's forearm, the metal vambrace he wore had been pushed into the wound, effectively hooking the piece of armour into his arm, therefore resulting in a painful, dangerous and messy injury.

That was what she had suspected, but even it made her feel ill looking at the tangled mess of Nico's arm. Fortunately, it was nothing some nectar and ambrosia couldn't fix.

Hedge fished around in a few bag and produced a flask of the godly drink.

Despite her experience and training in camp, treating wounds was something she'd never get used to. The squirming of the victim's body made her feel like a murderer, the metallic smell of blood was revolting and the idea that her failure could come at the cost of someone's life was too horrifying to bear.

Nico was no different.

While Hedge held down his upper body, Reyna unbuckled what was left of the clasps on the vambrace and gave it a testing jerk. It was just as bad as she suspected, or even worse, from the scream of pure agony Nico made.

An amateur would have immediately let go of the metal, but that would mean that the armour would be pulled back into place and disturbed for nothing, and they would have to pull it out again, result in the same outcome.

She examined the wound with a critical eye, she was able to lift the edges of the piece without difficulty, but the middle bit was crushed into his arm. The jerk she just performed was not just a brutal tug to get the armour was free, but also to access if any veins, arteries were severed.

The lack of a sudden spurt of blood meant no main vessels were damaged. _Luckily._

There was only one way to do this then. She gentling eased the young man's upper body off her lap.

"Nico? Hang on, ok?" Reyna took a deep breath to steel her nerves. "Just need to get the vambrace off. On three…"

She gave a nod to the satyr who tightened his grip on the demigod and returned her determined look. She placed a knee on his chest to keep him still.

Another deep breath.

"Okay, here we go… one…"

She tore the armour off. It was an old trick- it was always better when they weren't prepared.

Nico screamed and jerked wildly. His uninjured arm managed to strike Reyna before Hedge got it under control.

"You ok, girl?" Coach Hedge asked, still struggling with the Son of Hades.

Reyna barely heard him, transfix by the horror before her eyes.

"Reyna?" Hedge gave her a concerned look.

Nico had fallen silent- so overwhelmed by the pain and stress that he had passed out.

Reyna remained transfixed, "Coach, look at his arm."

There was no need to tell him, the satyr was already taking in the alarming sight.

They had expected the wound to be ugly, but it wasn't the blood and gore that scared them. No, it was the strange, bulging black veins that stood out starkly against deathly pale flesh.

Poison.

oOo

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AN: I hope you liked it! Please comment to tell me what you think! I'd also love to hear some predictions, and may even implement some of them! Thanks beforehand for your comments/favs! ~H


	9. Chapter 8

**AN: ****First and foremost- Happy Mother's Day to all! I will post a one-shot in response to this wonderful day, please check it out! **

**Here is Chapter 8- Please fav and review if you liked it! Lacking some motivation to write more…. **

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**Chapter 8**

Reyna woke to the sound of someone calling her name. She briefly wondered whether there would be a time on this quest that she would get some proper sleep. Then the events of yesterday rushed back and she forced her eyes open.

"Nico! How are you?"

"Not dead." Nico grinned weakly, "Isn't that great?"

She nodded numbly. _I wonder if he knows._

His grin evolved into a grimace, "It's poisoned, isn't it?"

Reyna hesitated, but then decided Nico was smart enough to figure that out, so there was no point hiding it anyway, "Yes."

He squeezed his eyes shut in fear.

"I'm dying."

Feared wormed into her mind, _was he just giving up? _And mostly importantly… _was he right?_

The pressing fear she'd felt when they had discovered that nectar did nothing to heal the wound was back. All the godly drink had done was to close up the wound, and slow the gradual movement of the deadly poison in his bloodstream. But the blackness was still there.

"No," she couldn't meet his eyes.

Nico's gaze softened and he sighed, "I'm a son of Hades. I know when it's my time."

The whole desperate situation and Nico's cool acceptance made Reyna's temper flare, "Does it make you happy then, to know that I agree?"

"It makes me happy that you're taking it so well."

She didn't know if that was meant to be a joke or not, so there was a long silence, so long that Reyna thought that her companion had fallen back into a restless sleep, until he moved to awkwardly unbutton his shirt. "Give me a hand please."

The praetor did as he asked, and helped him pull back the sweat soaked material. She didn't mean to stare at Nico's bare chest, but a key shaped scar on his abdomen caught her attention. It was almost as if someone had branded him or carved such a symbol into his skin. The young man drew her attention back to his arm with a wave and she was horrified to find the poison had spread to his upper arm overnight.

She gently touched the affected area, while Nico looked on with interest. The skin burned her freezing fingers. "Does it hurt?"

"I can't feel my arm anymore," he shook his head sadly.

"There must be something we can do…"

"Take me outside."

"What?"

Nico's gaze locked with hers, determination chasing away the fog of pain and sickness. "Take me outside; we'll make the final jump now. Trust me, Reyna- we'll make it."

She reeled back in shock, "You'll die!"

"Trust me, we'll make it," he desperately repeated.

"No, Nico…" she wanted to say argue more about the danger he was going to put himself in, but the words stuck in her throat, instead she said, "Who knows where we might end up with you in this state?"

The boy struggled to rise, "I'll be _dead_ in less than 2 days… 3 at most! You and Coach Hedge will be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a gigantic statue and no way to get it back!"

"It's a risk, but it's the only option." He pleaded.

Reyna hesitated. Even if by some miracle they made it to camp, Nico would die- she was sure of that.

A praetor always did things for the greater good, didn't they? In this case they could potentially save the two camps, at the cost of one demigod's life. Not even a well-liked one at that.

_You're not just a praetor, Reyna. _A voice that sounded suspiciously like Jason's spoke in her mind. _You're a person with emotions, not just duties._

So who am I now? A friend or a praetor?

Thoughts charged around in her mind like wild horses- some urging her to agree for the greater good, some telling her that her agreement would be something she was going to regret for the rest of her life.

"Reyna?" Nico grasped her wrist suddenly with the hand of his uninjured arm and the praetor met his gaze forlornly, knowing that the son of Hades was going to make an argument that she couldn't refuse.

"My life for the two camps- is it not worth it?"

She hesitated and a spark of victory gleamed in his eyes. "One life for several hundred, which would you chose?"

_He was right,_ she realised. One needed to make sacrifices to win a war. She opened her mouth to give the reply when a memory floated to the surface of her turbulent mind and stood out above all others.

oOo

_She was leaning against the railing of the Argo looking out to sea. About fifty metres to her left Nico struggled to pull a huge pile of ropes up to the deck from a staircase._

"_Reyna?"_

"_Yes, Percy?"_

_The Son of Poseidon looked surprisingly serious. "I've been looking for you, and now that I've found you… can I ask something of you?"_

_She gave him a levelled gaze, "Depends on what it is."_

"_I want you to protect Nico at all costs."_

"_That's the point of me going on this trip, is it not?" she replied sarcastically._

_To her surprise, Percy gripped her shoulders with both hands and swung her around to face him properly. He swallowed and seemed to make a decision._

"_Tartarus… does… strange things to people…" he trailed off nervously, "Nico's changed, and he's become restless, dangerous and so much more reckless. I- just keep an eye on him, ok?"_

_Reyna hesitated; it was always dangerous to make promises when you're a demigod. But, this was just a promise that she already planned to keep anyways, so what difference would it make ultimately?_

"_Fine. I give you my word that I will do my best to protect him," she promised._

_Percy removed his hands from her shoulders and suddenly looked sad, "The last promise of this sort I made almost drove him insane." _

_He sighed, "Us demigods owe him more than we could ever repay"_

_In the distance, Annabeth called for him and he turned his head in her direction, "Coming!"_

_The Son of the Earthshaker grinned at Reyna with a spark in his eyes, "Not to mention that I kill you if my cousin dies under your care."_

_The Daughter of Bellona was left standing awkwardly by the railing, wondering if the last statement was a joke. _

oOo

Upon returning to the present, she realised that Nico was still looking at her expectantly. She shook her head.

"No. Stay and rest. I will personally make sure you don't die."

"What? Reyna! You would let-"

She got up and left the tent before he finished his sentence.

oOo

The cold morning air was such a change from the stuff atmosphere of the tent that she didn't know whether to feel glad or not, knowing that the main contribution to the heat was a high temperature that Nico was running.

Hedge was sitting on a log nearby, trying to make a rainbow with a prism. She approached him and sat down nearby. "Hey."

The satyr grunted in response, "How's the boy?"

She didn't want to tell him about Nico's proposal for fear that he would agree. So she just tried her best to look worried, "He's running a fever."

Hedge raised an eyebrow, "I thought I heard talking?"

"Err… Yeah," she searched her brain for an explanation, "He was delirious and panicking, and I was trying to calm him down."

"Right."

The satyr seemed to have accepted the lie and went back to rainbow-making. Suddenly a bright flash of light caught her attention. The praetor whipped around and stopped in shock at the glowing outline of a woman standing behind her.

Hedge started at her sudden movement, "What's wrong?" He stared at her in surprise.

"Can't you see her?"

"Who? Where?"

Reyna panicked. What was this new monster that had come to test them?

The woman smiled gently and moved closer, her white robes hovering above the ground. "Peace, Praetor. I bear you no harm. I am a messenger of Minerva."

Reyna wasn't convinced, "Why can't he see you?"

The woman glanced at Hedge, who was now shouting loudly about cowardice and clubs. Her mouth twitched into a smile. "My lady was unsure of how the satyr would react and so bid me only appear to you."

"What do you want to tell us?"

The woman's halo of golden light made it hard to look at her. "There is hope for this quest as long as the son of Hades lives. The poison that races through his veins is deadly- but curable."

Reyna felt her heart pound.

"There is an herb that cures such toxins. But you must retrieve it before it's too late."

"What is this herb like?"

"You will know when you find it."

The daughter of Bellona lowered her sword, "Where can I find this herb?"

The woman smiled sadly, "It's not that easy, Praetor. Even my lady does not know where the herb is. Only those who have fallen to Death know where it grows."

"Then- "

With a delicate poof, the woman vanished. Reyna stopped Hedge in his futile attempts to hit invisible monsters and explained to him all that she had been told.

The satyr looked livid, "What are the gods playing at? Why would they bring up our hopes only to smash them down again?"

Reyna didn't know how to answer that. But surely there was a purpose to the woman's visit. It was normally forbidden for gods to interfere with the affairs of their children, so could it be that Minerva was trying to help indirectly by giving them a clue?

She prayed to every god she could think of, asking for their help. Finally, she got to Hades.

_Lord Hades, please help us. Your son's life is in danger. If you ever cared about him at all, please send help. _

The daughter of Bellona mentally decided that she was going to do whatever it would take to save Nico, not just because she owed him… or because Percy might murder her later…

But because the truth of the matter was; he didn't deserve to die.

oOo

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**Keep going down to the review box! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 9

**AN: ****Here is a chapter in honour of the revealing of the Blood of Olympus book cover! **

**This is another exciting one, containing the appearance of everyone's favourite god. **

**Please review and fav! Authors live on your comments!**

**Without further ado….**

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**Chapter 9**

To keep her mind off the problems that they were facing now, Reyna tidied their packs and disposed of all the junk, and then she collected firewood until it was dark. She worked as if in a trance.

Hedge had long since given up on trying to make a rainbow and instead chose to keep an eye on Nico.

It concerned her how badly the boy was faring. He drifted between a fevered, restless sleep to murmuring deliriously when awake. There was nothing they could do now. She wondered if refusing his plan of action this morning had been wise.

A bright moon outshone thousands of tiny stars on the blackness above her that was the sky. At any other time, she would have said that it was peaceful. The fire in front of her crackled as a log split in the heat.

Reyna sighed, remember a long time ago, when she was an ordinary soldier and could laugh along with her peers, instead of coldly observing from a distance. When she had first been promoted to Praetor, she'd loved the utter reverence and fear others showed her- they'd rise and salute if she was 10 feet away from them. That was until she realised what a lonely life leaders led.

A shadow moved a few feet away from her.

A man appeared out of nowhere. She ran her sword through his before thinking. The weapon cut through his figure as if it wasn't there.

He was dressed in a semi-formal black suit, the kind that you saw at funerals, with hair combed back neatly. The stranger appeared to be unarmed, and not too built, but looked as if he could put on a decent burst of speed if needed.

"Hello, Praetor."

The man offered her a serious nod and she found herself looking at a face with features that were startlingly familiar.

"Yes," the figure said, as if it could guess her mind, "I am Hades."

The lord of the Dead sat down beside her in front of the fire, and she tried not the flinch. "I have heard your prayers, and have come to ask you to clarify what kind of help you need."

Reyna felt herself shiver at the coldness that seeped from the immortal. "Lord Hades…"

He turned ageless eyes upon her. "Yes?"

"Nico is dying. You know that, surely."

"Yes. I do."

"Can you help him then?"

"No."

She reeled back in shock, "Why?" She couldn't help sounding resentful, "He's your son- don't you care?"

The god turned to her, his face contorted with anger, "Why would you think that? Do you think that I know nothing about love because I am the epitome of death?"

He turned to the fire again, "There are truer displays of love on deathbeds than at weddings. There are more tears of regret at funerals than in halls of prayer." His voice was soft, almost comforting, "Death brings out the best in all of us, but at the highest price."

Hades twisted a silver ring on his hand- his wedding ring. "I cannot help you because you ask for the wrong type of help…" he trailed off and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

_Was he giving her some kind of clue, just as Minerva's messenger had? _The woman's words rang in her mind again- _only those who have fallen to Death know where it grows._

It was worth a shot, "Lord Hades, can you tell me where to find a herb that can cue Nico?"

The god smiled at her, "No…"

Her hopes fell.

"…but I'm sure some of my minions can tell you." He rose and dusted off himself off, "Even though we gods can't interfere with you mortals, it surely won't be my fault if one of them just happens to have run away and met you at the north edge of the woods tomorrow morning."

Reyna grinned.

Hades looked over her shoulder at the tent behind her with something akin to longing in his eyes.

"Would you like to see Nico?" She offered.

The god made to answer, but his form flickered. For a brief second, he was a menacing looking man in a black toga. "N-no. I must go now- this form weakens."

The god looked at her with something akin to warmth in his eyes, "Do not fear me because of what I represent. Death is just. But justice is often mistaken for cruelty." He raised a hand in farewell, "You understand, do you not, praetor of Rome?"

Reyna averted her eyes as the god disappeared in a pillar of flame. She was left with a warm flame of hope that flickered in her heart.

oOo

Nico could feel his heart giving out.

Dying was certainly a strange feeling.

Throughout his life as a son of Hades, he had seen lots of people die- friends, family, strangers, monsters and even a god.

In fact his frequent conversations with dead people made the concept of death seemed like an everyday thing.

As a belonging of the Underworld, he wasn't afraid of death, but he was definitely afraid of spending eternity remembering how he'd failed his friends.

_Curse Reyna and her compassion_, he thought bitterly. _We should have just risked it and made the last jump._

But in his hearts of hearts, he was grateful.

In New Rome's council, he had seen Reyna the Praetor in action, barking orders and always carefully calculating the best action to take. She was a good leader capable to working towards 'the bigger picture' no matter what was sacrificed in the process.

This was probably the first time that he had seen her take a detour from 'the bigger picture'.

_It's too late to go back now,_ he thought sadly.

It had been set in stone. He would die. Reyna and Coach Hedge would die. The demigods of the two camps would die. The Seven would die. The Gods would die.

All because of him. _Damn._

Cool fingers brush sweat-matted hair away from his forehead. Opening his eyes tooks a ridiculously long time.

A girl's voice said something that he couldn't make out. The sound was both welcoming and annoying.

While the sudden loud noise bounced around and made his head hurt even more, it was reassuring to know that his senses still sort of worked. She turned around to pick up something, but he didn't have the energy to turn his head anymore.

_Is it morning already? How much time do I have left?_

Everything was blurry, but he guessed the figure above him was Reyna. The lack of colours made him wonder if it was still night or if his sight was failing. He hoped it was the former.

Finally, the girl came back and gently eased the covers off him. The cold air feels nice as it brushes against his burning skin, but he knows that he'll pay for it with stiff muscles if he survives long enough.

He hears a horrified gasp, but is too dizzy to care.

At first, his arm hurt like hell, but now it was just a dull throb that made his body numb as long as no one touched the wound.

When he had first been injured, he'd look down his nose once in a while to see how far the poison had spread. The results were never pretty. Now, he could tell how far the wrenched black liquid travelled by just the familiar feeling of burning as the poison fought the nectar that Hedge fed him earlier.

His entire right chest felt as it was on fire and he could no longer even twitch the fingers of his injured arm. Actually he wasn't too sure if it was before he couldn't or before the receptor in the arm were dead.

Either way, the poison was slowly concentrating on moving towards his heart.

A cloth wiped the injured arm and affected skin gently, but the sudden intense pain made him want to scream. He could only manage a groan. The rubbing stopped abruptly.

His head was lifted and a rounded metal edge pressed against his lips.

Nectar.

He gulped it down. It tasted like Coke. The drink that Bianca would get her friends to smuggle into their school once in a while. They'd hide somewhere, away from the prying eyes of teachers and drink the bottles. It had been their little victory against a world that cared nothing for them.

Right now, he didn't even know it the nectar did anything for the poison, but it was worth a shot anyways.

An image of army reinforcement parachutes with golden droplets of nectar in commando uniforms dropping out into a battlefield of black uniformed drops of poison in his veins made him want to laugh.

_I'm really losing it._ He chuckled mentally.

Nico wanted to thank Reyna, to greet her- to do anything but lie there like an invalid.

Oh wait, he was an _invalid_.

The Praetor talked a bit more, and eventually his ears got used enough to be able to make out what she was saying. "I'll be back soon, hang on for a few more days, ok?"

_Back? Where was she going?_

"This will save your life. I'll be back before you know it, just- stay alive, will you?"

_What happened while he was out?_

"Nico?" The girl sighed and eased him back under the covers, "I don't know if you can hear me, or understand what I'm saying, but I hope you can."

Nico didn't have the strength to reply anymore and Reyna, perhaps realising her mistake, gently laid a hand over his uninjured one and gave a gentle squeeze.

His vision blurred suddenly and it was no longer possible to keep his eyes open.

As they closed, something wet landed on his cheek and his barely conscious mind made a note to say sorry to Reyna if he ever got the chance to.

oOo

The Praetor exited the tent after recollecting herself.

The wound was worse. Now the poison had spread to reach his chest. The breaths that the son of Hades took were more like gasps. He didn't have long.

There was something heartbreaking about the blameless way that Nico had looked at her. For those few moments, she could see what Hazel saw and loved in the young man; his fearless ambition and… boundless loyalty to his cause.

That was admirable. She didn't doubt that Gaea had tried to recruit him before, but the Son of Hades had refused. He had no reason to fight for the gods, but he did so, again and again, even when he had everything to lose.

At the moment in time, she vowed silently that she would do anything to save his life, no matter the cost.

Hedge was huddled by the fire, and looked up as she approached, "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes."

The satyr looked impassive, and refused to look her in the eye. "Perhaps, it's better if I go instead?"

She understood where the request had come from- he didn't want to stay behind and feel useless. "No, Coach," she told him gently, "Stay here, look after Nico; I'll be back before you know it."

"What if-"

The sentence was too painful to say out loud.

"I will."

The satyr pulled her into a tight hug and she nearly fell over in surprise. Finally, he let go and wiped his face with the back of his hand, "Get going," he scowled at the ground, "It's starting to rain."

He wiped his face again.

The Praetor got over her surprise gave him a sober nod. She headed over to the north tree line, taking one last look at the clear, cloudless sky before it was swallowed by the foreboding shadow of trees.

oOo

Reyna pushed aside the last bush to see the faint pink tingle of the sky the next morning.

Her entire body ached from blundering around in the forest all night, and if it wasn't for her armour, her whole body would probably be covered in scratches.

The ground looked too inviting to resist and so she sat down to catch her breathe. _What do I do now?_

The answer didn't take long in coming. A shadow glided over her and she leapt to her feet. _Please let it not be a monster._

Horrible images of dragons and flying monsters filled her with dread. It was ridiculous if she got killed before she even began her miniquest for the herb. The thought of Hedge and Nico dying because she stupidly got killed off by a dragon made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Something landed in front of her with a cloud of dust and a clatter of bones.

When the mess cleared, Reyna couldn't help but gasp in surprise. In front of her, in bleached white bones and vague coloured outlines was Scipio.

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**Review?**


	11. Chapter 10

**AN: ****Hello everyone! Thanks to all my supporters for being patient! Special mention to the two lovely people that wished me well! ****(****Claire-Elizabeth and Dumah)**

**Well- the exams are over (and I'm pretty confident I did well), so I'm back to writing stories! **

**Without further ado, here is Chapter 10. There will most likely be another update on Wednesday too and another on Friday before resuming our normal routine of updates on Sundays!**

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**Chapter 10**

Reyna found herself absolutely speechless. She was dimly aware of her arms hanging numbly by her sides, and the imperial golden sword barely supported by suddenly weak fingers.

"Scipio?"

For an uncertain moment, she was terrified that her friend wouldn't recognise her. _Can dead things even recognise people?_ But then the skeletal winged horse turned slowly at the sound of her voice and shakes its head in response.

In such a form, Reyna figured Scipio lacked the ability to make sounds, but the simple head movement had brought tears to her eyes. The loyal animal came closer and bumps her shoulder gently with its boned head. The normally serious Praetor could imagine the animal quizzically enquiring about the tears that were running freely down her face.

She stroked his great head for a few minutes- struck by amazement and disbelief at his presence. In the next few minutes, neither horse nor master makes a sound- one unable to, the other afraid that ruining the silence would destroy the sacred moment.

The moment fades and almost instinctively, Reyna throws her arms around the horse's neck and shamelessly allow the rest of her tears to flow. "I'm... I'm so sorry. For everything."

The pegasus seemed to snicker and lowers its neck even more, looking her in the eye with a sightless gaze that holds more wisdom than ever.

A flood of memories overwhelm the Praetor as she recalls all the adventures they'd been through. She remembers how a wave of pride swelled in her chest they would fly above the other campers during war games, acting as both an audience and referees.

She felt again the fear when, during the war with the Giant's army, Scipio aided them by attacking Polybotes from the air. _How tiny the pegasus had looked compared to the mighty Giant._ The relief when they were reunited.

And during their journey to the Argo II across the Pacific Ocean. The boundless loyalty Scipio had for her. She knew that he would have kept flying until he dropped, had she asked for it. The guilt and devastation she had continued to feel after she had to put the animal out of its misery seemed to fade a little. Only a little.

She cried harder. And the pegasus seemed to snort in exasperation.

But the truth was that she still felt a stifling guilt every day- perhaps because they never had the chance to truly say goodbye. The few days after were some of the hardest she'd ever been through, only losing by a close margin to when she'd arrived at camp- alone and unsure of herself. Jason had tried to comfort her later abroad the ship, telling her that it was only for the best, but that didn't stop the overwhelming disgust she felt at her failure to protect a friend.

She had meant to say more, but the pegasus seemed to have forgiven her and was now looking expectantly at her. A sense of urgent duty smashed back with some guilt and pushed away the emotions clouding her mind. She wiped dry her tears, but kept a hand on the pegasus' neck, fearing that he was going to disappear again.

"Can you take me to find the herb?" she whispers.

Scipio bumps her with its head again in what was probably confirmation. Slowly folded bones with blurry outlines of feathers on its back spread out and the pegasus shakes them, as if testing the notion of flying.

Reyna climbs abroad, "Let's go then." She pats its neck.

Her pegasus gives one last happy shake of the head before it launches into the air.

The Praetor holds on tight and looks back curiously at the gradually decreasing trees and a wave of giddy excitement surge through her. What had seemed hopeless a few hours ago was now bubbling with possibility.

As they begin to rise through the clouds, the Praetor leaned against Scipio's neck and fancied hearing the cheerful sound of a familiar man's laughter.

oOo

As they rose, the joyous sensation of feeling the wind whipping through her hair was reignited. She breathed in deeply, her lungs expanding to take in the sweet air. _It was great to be alive. _

But as they flew on, her sense of euphoria faded quickly. The air was becoming unbearably cold and she found herself reliving the intense panic and fear she'd felt on their journey to the Argo II.

The daughter of Bellona kept a hand on the pommel of her sword, half expecting a pack of gryphons to come flying out the dark clouds any minute.

Scipio, on the other hand, seemed unaware of the cold and kept flying at the same speed, moving swiftly and surely to what Reyna hoped was their goal.

But before long, her hands were quite frozen and her teeth began to chatter. She decided to forgo speed for efficiency. After all, who knew what dangers she might need to defeat? She needed full use of her limbs the moment they land.

"Scipio?"

The pegasus' body shifted in response.

"Can you go a bit lower?" She managed to not bite her tongue, "I'm freezing."

So they began to drop, slowly moving through the white woollen puffs that were clouds. As they finally burst through, a sudden beam of sunlight welcomed them, and the warmth was more than heavenly.

Green trees spread out below them as far the eye could see, the rolling sunlight highlighting only beauty. Reyna laughed. Carefully, she spread her arms wide and felt the pleasant brush of a gentle wind on her arms.

What a glorious feeling! She realised that it was perhaps only for those moments that demigods fought against incredible odds- those moments when they knew there was something worthwhile to protect. There was actually something to lose.

Eventually, the Praetor relaxed and decided to take some time for much needed sleep.

The warm pull of unconsciousness beckoned to her.

She patted Scipio's neck, "Wake me up when we're nearly there, ok?"

oOo

Reyna dreamt she was in a comfortably furnished room.

Plump cushions rested on various couches, and curious pieces of delicate, colourful glass were place around on stands around the room. The faint smell of roasted meat made her mouth water.

With a gentle whooshing sound the small door on the other side of the room swung open. Reyna moved to draw her sword, before realising that the comforting weight of her weapon by her side was gone.

In fact, she was wearing something that looked a fluffy purple bathrobe. She ran a hand through the soft material. _Who knew dreams could be so real? _

The young woman who had entered smiled cheerfully at her, as if seeing a complete stranger in the house was completely normal, "Hello there, Reyna. Sorry for dragging you here, but I needed to tell you something important."

"Who are you?" her voice heavy with suspicion.

Still smiling, the woman moved to add a log to the fireplace. The flames seem to purr in happiness. "A friend."

_A friend? _Reyna hesitated. _Or an enemy in disguise?_

The woman sat down in armchair, "This is just a dream, meaning that I can't harm you. So please hear me out." She gestured to an opposite chair, and Reyna sat down carefully because she didn't really have a choice.

The woman went straight to the topic, "I know of your quest for the herb."

Reyna wasn't surprised.

The woman goes on, "some years ago, another demigod too sought after the herb. I tried to give him assistance, but he refused."

"What happened?" A sense of foreboding thickened in the air.

"He met a tragic end in the garden. I do not want that happening to you. For the failure of your quest would mean the end of the reign of gods," she looked at Reyna expectantly, "While we may have committed atrocities, we have learnt from the mistakes of our forefathers. We are better rulers than the Titans and those that precede them."

"You mean Gaea?"

The woman winces, "Careful, demigod- names have great power."

"Sorry." Reyna feel a little more at ease now, "What did you want to tell me?"

The woman nods, "Seeker of the herb, heed these words."

There was a blinding flash and a verse of golden letters burned in the air, outshining everything else and engraving themselves painlessly into the Praetor's mind as a gentle voice recited them out loud.

You who seeks me,

know this-

I do not gleam in the sun,

nor glow in the moon.

But desired by all men,

guarded by their bane,

I alone,

tested by fire,

will stand.

Then there was a vision of a charred field, followed by the roar of a beast close by and an unseen boy's horrified scream that cut off abruptly.

oOo

She jolted awake.

They were still airborne, and with the new absence of the sun she had no idea where they were, or how long had passed since she fell asleep.

Suddenly Scipio's body jerked once, as if trying to wake her up. She was instantly alert.

"What it is?" Reyna asked hesitantly, "Are we there?"

The pegasus didn't answer or try to communicate with her again. Instead, they began to descend. Scipio spread his wings to full length and rode the air currents to finish in a graceful landing.

The Praetor climbed off, her legs aching due to the several hours riding, and looked around.

She had no idea where they were and it had been too dark to see their surrounding when descending. They seemed to be near the sea from the faint smell of salt and seaweed and hang in the air.

Above them, the stars twinkled and shivered in the cold air. _So we're up high, above the sea._

Directly in front of her was a tall iron gate and beyond that, from what she could see, more trees and what appeared to be a huge boulder.

In the dark, she couldn't really see anything other than that. But time was wasting away, so she started forwards, half drawing her sword. The Praetor had almost placed her hand on the door, when Scipio moved to stand in her way.

The look of concern etched on its face is touching, but getting the herb was priority. "I need to go get the herb now," she tells Scipio, "Move aside, boy."

But he doesn't budge.

After a few minutes of coaxing, Reyna starts to wonder if the pegasus knows something she doesn't.

"Do you smell monsters?" She pats the horse's neck, "Nod your head a bit if you're trying to tell me to not go inside."

The animal nods its head.

_So it didn't want her to go in._ _But why?_ The Praetor recalled the several times when listening to others had saved her life. Eventually, she made a decision. Scipio knew that she could handle herself and the woman in her dream had warned her of some great danger too. _Man's bane- what could that be? _She needed the sight that only sunlight was only to give her if she wanted to succeed.

She moved to the cover of some nearby trees, with Scipio following, and sat down to wait for sunrise. The knowledge that Nico could be nearly dead burned her with guilt. But, she had to take that risk tonight.

_Good things come to those who wait. Or do they?_

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**There's Chapter 10! I hope you enjoyed! Please fav and review to tell me about what you think!**


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: Here is a very long chapter to celebrate! Enjoy the heart stopping action!**

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**Chapter 11**

Reyna really wished that Gaea would leave her alone. At this rate, she was never going to get any rest.

"Leave me be, Gaea!" She shouted into the void around her. The echo of her words was flung back at her and she shuddered as the familiar, cold, slithering voice washed over her. The vague outline of a woman appears in the distance.

_"You're trying to save a fantasy," _Gaea whispers,_ "The loyal, unfortunate boy you are trying to preserve does not exist. Nico di Angelo is a killer- a murderer acting in cold blood."_

The daughter of Bellona was sick of hearing her voice, "Get your lying face away from me!"

_"No, Praetor. It is a fact that we only see what we want to see. I am trying to help you... to show you the truth."_

"You don't have any truths to give!" Reyna dug her fingernails into her forearm hard enough to draw blood, hoping the pain would shock her awake. It didn't.

_"You are afraid, child. Scared of reality."_ The woman's form shifts mesmerizingly, _"But I will show you what he really is…"_

She was standing amid a battlefield in the shadows of skyscrapers. The scene was a tangle of monsters, demigods and the Praetor jumped as someone screamed right in her ear. Cars lay in random piles, as if a giant had been using them as building blocks.

Nico was busy battling a wolf-like thing some few metres away. His black armour was battered and one side dripped with blood. She hoped it wasn't his. The demigod raised his sword and the pouncing monster sailed onto it, dissolving into a pile of dust immediately. Nico barely had time to breathe as another demigod engaged him in combat. Reyna felt her heart pound in fear.

The two seemed evenly matched for a few seconds, but then it became obvious that Nico was a far superior swordsman despite his fatigue. He parried, blocked a side cut with ease and sliced his sword across the other's upper leg. The enemy demigod cried out in pain and sank to his knees.

She saw the son of Hades hesitate as his raised blade was forgotten. The kneeling boy stuttered something- a terrified plea for life. She saw Nico search the other boy's eyes uncertainly, seeking some kind of trickery.

The black nightmarish sword began to lower, but then the son of Hades gritted his teeth and his eyes began to burn with a deep hatred that made her blood run cold. _No, Nico... _

Even so, the Praetor couldn't turn away as Nico drove his sword through the boy's thin chest, giving an extra shove for it to break through the sternum. The sound the boy makes is a mix of gurgling and choking; he heaves out blood and slumps forwards. The son of Hades withdraws the bloodied blade, and holds it aloft like some kind of trophy, letting a wild, brutal war cry emerge from his throat.

Reyna turns away, disgusted by the sight.

oOo

The morning came soon after and at the first light, the Praetor shoved her doubt to one side and approached the gate.

It swung back silently as she applied pressure. The metal was warm to the touch even though the sun had barely begun its journey across the sky. _Didn't metal only heat up at high temperatures? _

In front of her was a beautiful garden. Despite having no names for any of the plants surrounding her, Reyna could still appreciate their beauty. The sweet smells of pollen made her want to lie down and bathe in the warm sun- to give up on the quest and forget all her troubles.

Reyna shook her head to clear the thought, _focus._ Scipio followed behind a few metres and stopped once in a while to stomp a few curious coloured flowers into the ground. Soon she came to a strange pole set into the ground.

Vines had crawled their way upon its body over the years, and some fancy golden lettering had long been lost to the elements. But hanging by half rusted chains was unmistakeably a bell.

The logical, normal response would be to have left it alone. But since she had nothing to lose, she knocked the hilt of her sword against the heavy metal and winced as it bounced to and fro as the clapper struck the interior of the instrument.

For a moment, nothing happened. The rings of the bell fell away until she was no longer sure if the tiniest shiver echoed back was real or in her imagination.

Reyna felt like chopping down the post in frustration. _Could the woman have tricked her? Could Hades have tricked her? _

She absentmindedly stroked Scipio's head as her eyes scanned the paddock of grass and cheerfully coloured flowers.

The golden words appeared once more in her mind. _I do not gleam in the sun, not glow in the moon._

So if the herb was amongst them then how was she supposed to-

The ground rumbled. Reyna nearly fell over. Beside her, Scipio reared on his back legs and took to the air. A sense of abandonment jabbed at her heart. Her sword had just been drawn when a huge shadow loomed before her and blocked out the sun.

Fear lodged in her throat as she found herself faced the monstrous nightmare before her. The thing was a gruesome cross between a dragon and some kind of bird. Instead of eyeballs, the monster had empty eye sockets that were filled with some yellowish oily liquid which ran in streams down its scaly face and dripped to the ground. Its movements were slow and blundering.

"I am the guardian of the herb!" It grates out, "Who calls upon me?"

Reyna was sure any normal person would have kept quiet, but her mouth seemed to move without her brain's command.

"I've come for the herb!" She shouts. _Damn. _

The huge beasts seemed to only notice her then, it lowers its head and a forked tongue slides out of its mouth to taste the air. "Who are you? Why do you seek the herb?"

Its loud voice made her ears ring, but she stayed put. The only way to get out alive was to be smart. The dragon wasn't something that she could defeat alone- even with the help of another dozen demigods she would still have her doubts.

"I am Reyna- Praetor of New Rome and I need the herb to save my friend."

Her sword was fully drawn now, and adrenaline surged through her blood, scorching like fire.

The beast seemed to look at her, but the sightless holes in its face were even more discerning than actual eyes. "What makes your request so different from the hundreds before you?"

Reyna didn't even hesitate in answering, "Because the fate of the world depends on it!"

Instead of thinking about this, as she thought it would, the dragon threw its head back and laughed. Through the gaps in the scales of its neck the Praetor could see the burning orange light of the furnace-like organ that all dragons had.

"The fate of the world? That's what all your demigods think. Pah!"

"Gaea will rise if I don't get the herb!"

"Gaea?" The beast looked thoughtful, "I have not heard that name in millenniums. She will rise, you say?"

The praetor felt a burst of hope, "That's right!"

The dragon raised a claw and struck the ground a few metres away. Pebbles and dirt flew everywhere. "After the Fates themselves created me, they gave me a job to do and I never saw them again. Gaea was my only companion for many years and when she was tricked into a deep sleep by the Gods, I was left here to die!"

The claw was poised directly above her now, "I guess I owe it to her to KILL YOU!"

Reyna barely rolled out of the way before the spot where she stood a moment before was flattened.

_This is why Gaea let me get this far- she knew I was going to die anyways. _The thought echoed in her mind as she sprinted for all she was worth. The dragon turned lazily and watched her, knowing that there was no chance of escape.

The beast smashed its claw down behind her again and she could hear his insane roar of delight as she run even faster. The dragon was playing with her and the thought made her angry, but there was no other way to survive for now.

More gravel knocked into her armour and scraped the back of her head as there was another loud thump behind her. _Keep running, come on!_ She told herself.

Her lungs were on fire and after a while she finally had to stop. A dark shadow loomed over her. _This was it,_ she thought, _I'm going to die_. As the realisation of death crept upon her, there was an eerie calm. The praetor wasn't greatly saddened by the idea or even scared. _I've done my best- given all I have for the Gods. Maybe the Fates were playing us- perhaps the gods were never meant to be. _

The dragon roared and it took a moment for her to notice that she wasn't dead. A burning blaze of orange lit up the dawn sky and she look up to see what was delaying the beast.

Scipio.

As she watched, the loyal pegasus performed a stunning dive and kicked the dragon's head. It probably didn't do much damage, but it annoyed the beast a lot from what she could tell.

The enraged dragon blew fire in every direction, and forgotten for now, Reyna pressed her back again a large rock, desperate to hide and avoid the heat.

Her heart pounded painfully against her breastplate and her hand came away tingled with red as she pressed it to the back of her head.

She risked a peek and saw that the dragon was still occupied. She thought back to the clue that the woman had given her and decided to decipher it line by line.

"You who seeks me, know this…" _That was just an introduction- nothing important. _

"… I do not gleam in the sun, nor glow in the moon… " _This shows that the herb had no distinct markings on it, _she thought.

"… but desired by all men, guarded by their bane…" _Once again, quite straightforward now that she had seen the dragon._

It was the last line that confused her, "I alone, tested by fire, will stand." The praetor could still hear the dragon trying to swap Scipio and she knew that the pegasus would be in great danger very soon as the dragon grew more used to its movements.

The ground around her, which had once been lush vegetation, was now a mess of blackness and burn marks. She felt almost sorry for the flowers and trees that had been destroyed as the dragon pursued her.

Suddenly, the meaning of the last line became clear to her.

She step out from behind the rock and surveyed the area carefully. A burnt landscape was all that stood out at a brief inspection. The dragon's body heat had made all of the ground cracked and barren.

Her hopes fell- _perhaps she had been wrong? _

Scipio dodged another wickedly fast swipe from the dragon and returned with a kick to the head. The beast roared and stood on its back legs in an effort to reach higher.

Reyna saw it.

Dangerously close to the tail of the dragon was a tiny cluster of green which had survived the heat. It had stood in a test of fire.

She prayed to whichever god it was that overlooked stupid acts like running under dragons and began to move.

The tail of the dragon swept at her suddenly and she veered to the side. A sharp barb-like structure cut a large gash on her leg and she hissed in pain. Then adrenaline surged through her and dimmed the pain. She finally reached the plant and without hesitation pulled it out of the ground. _Maybe not that wise, but I'll worry about it later. _

The dragon placed a heavy back leg on the exact spot a moment later and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Scipio!" She screamed as loud as she could, "COME!"

The pegasus feigned to the left and as the dragon wavered to that side, dived down to his master. The praetor stored the herb carefully in the pouch at her side and clambered onto Scipio's back.

They soared away to the furious roars of the guardian of the herb. Reyna looked back one last time to see the monster shaking out the tattered remains of its wings. Then darkness welcomed her as she fell unconscious.

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**What do you all think? Favourite and review if you liked it! Your input is valuable!**


	13. Chapter 12

**AN: Here's this week's chapter! Enjoy! The Fates are cruel indeed. Do leave me a review!**

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**Chapter 12**

She dreamt that she was back in the makeshift camp where Nico and Hedge was. She swallowed down her fears and entered the tent. For a moment she thought that the son of Hades was dead, but then his chest rose sluggishly as he inhaled.

She found herself calling his name, and felt surprise stir as his eyes opened, even though he couldn't have heard her in a dream. Nevertheless, she knelt down beside him.

Nico wets his cracked lips, and squints, "Bianca?"

His left hand twitches and then a trembling fit runs through his body. His eyes squeeze shut again and he sinks back against the pillows, groaning in pain.

A movement behind her makes her turn and draw her sword. The blade whips through the figure of Coach Hedge harmlessly.

The satyr looks more concerned than she's ever seen him, and mutters at Nico's state. He unclicks a flask from his belt and knelt down beside Nico to support his limp head against his arm.

"Nico?"

The son of Hades stirs weakly, "Dad?"

"No," Coach tells him gently, "Drink this. Come on."

The young man turns away and clamps his mouth shut. Coach coaxes him for another few hopeless minutes and gives up.

"I know you don't feel like eating, but you have to at least drink some nectar," the demigod protector eventually sighs and lies Nico back on the ground.

Even without blankets, the young man is sweating in the freezing cold. Hedge unbuttons the boy's shirt and Reyna is horrified by the black web that now stretches across his chest. It covers his entire right side and seemed to mimic what would be the alveoli of his lung beneath. A thick black claw inched closer to his heart.

Hedge swears as Nico's breathing catches dangerously and seems to stop. But then the he draws in a choked breath. The relieved satyr draws a blanket over the son of Hades and sits beside him, watching him breathe. "Hurry, Reyna."

oOo

She jerks awake.

They are still flying and Reyna relaxes a bit. There is no sign of land and all around them are clouds. She has no idea where they are, but Scipio seems to know.

Her leg aches with a passion, but the coldness helps ease the pain a little. Reyna curses herself for stupidly not bring a flask of nectar or at least some ambrosia. The faster they arrived, the better off she would be.

Pressing a hand to Scipio's neck, she urged him on silently.

oOo

Dawn had just risen when they touched down in the centre of the makeshift camp. Everything looked about the same from the air. But, the statue was now lying on the ground, amidst a clump of trees that could no longer support its weight.

Scipio had barely touched down before Reyna was off, desperately trying to ignore the aching pain in her calf.

"Coach!" She shouted, "Where are you?"

She hurried past the fire that was now only a pile of blackened wood and ashes and was about to lift up the flap of the tent when as Hedge ran outside and knocked her over. They end up in a heap on the ground.

"Reyna!" The satyr realises what he's done and quickly pulls her up, "Thanks the gods you're back!"

Hedge looked as if he had been crying and Reyna felt panic rising inside her. _What if… _

The demigod protector looks quizzically at her, "Did you get the herb?"

"Yes," she pulled the small, sad looking bunch of vegetation from her pouch and handed it to the satyr, "Here it is- do you know what to do with it?"

Hedge nodded his head as he took the plant, "Yeah, I'll go and extract the essence from it. Go watch Nico while I'm gone. Be back in five."

For a minute, Reyna could only hear the glistening sounds of relief. _She wasn't too late. Nico was still alive. Thank the Gods. _

When she entered the tent, the sudden putrid smell of blood almost made her gag. She left the flap of the tent open to try and get some fresh air into the cramped space. Nico was lying in a similar position to when she left and seemed to be unconscious, or asleep- whichever one sounded better.

The random piles of armour had been gathered up into one corner and replaced by pots of water. She took a seat beside her fellow demigod's prone form and waited.

Suddenly, Nico began to cough. For a moment she could only stare in horror as the boy struggled to exhale and inhale at the same time, which only resulted in his body trembling in confusion and effort.

She had managed to lift up his upper body just as he began to heave. The reason for the bowls lying around became obvious and she picked up a container that was lying nearby and held it under his chin. She was about to call for help when Nico suddenly lurched forwards and choked up a mouthful of blood.

It seemed as if someone was squeezing it out of him as Nico's body jerked wildly and he leaned forwards to retch up more of the liquid. The vomiting continued for a few more minutes and then he collapsed back into the pillows, still coughing faintly and tossing around in distress.

Reyna felt doubt stir in that dark corner her mind and replace all other sensations. Nico looked so close to death as he lay there struggling to breathe that she didn't think anything was going to save him. Could that one little clump of grass really save his life?

She wiped the young man's face with a wet cloth and placed it next to the bowl on the ground. The next few silent minutes of watching his unsteady breathe and the weak rise and fall of his chest were the longest that she's ever experiences.

As promised, Hedge soon came back with a vial of green liquid. "Reyna?"

She stirred from her daze, "Did you finish the… potion?"

The satyr nodded, "Hold open his mouth for me."

The praetor did so, and Hedge poured the slimy contents of the vial down Nico's throat. She clamped his mouth shut and the coach held his nose, in an attempt to force the demigod to swallow.

Unfortunately, his body chose to choke and Reyna could only watch in horror as his body shook. Eventually most of the liquid must have gone down his throat one way or another and the son of Hades lay still.

His breathing hitched and then stopped. They sat in silence and waited. Nothing else happened.

_So it was all for nothing. _The last feeling that went through her mind before she submitted to blackness was bitter disappointment, and swelling anger at both herself and fate.

oOo

She dreamt that she was in a forest.

All around her were evergreens and above was the bright blue sky.

"Reyna?"

The praetor spun around at the sound of a familiar voice. Nico stood not ten steps away with a queer expression on his face that was a cross between sadness and gratefulness.

"Nico? Is this just a dream?"

The young man nodded, "It's a dream I created to contact you."

"Are you really dead then?"

There was no reply. Reyna could feel hot tears run down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Nico. I really am."

Nico's eyes met hers and softened slightly, "It's not your fault. All this is because of Gaea. Not you." He gave her a smile, a genuine one that made him look so much younger than normal.

"I tried to contact you in my dreams but Gaea was blocking me, so I couldn't get through." He moved to take her hands, "Hedge betrayed us to Gaea. The potion he gave me was not the extract of the herb, but some deadly poison."

Shock made her jerk away, "No!"

The son of Hades moved forwards, slightly burdened by the heavy iron armour he wore. The sight of his familiar presence calmed her a little. "I swear on the life of my sister that it is true! Reyna, kill him when you wake up. Or he'll find a way to kill you!"

"I…"

"You must! Your life is in grave danger." A chilling wind whistled through the trees and Nico perked up his head, "Father calls for me to return. I must go now."

He dropped her hands and looked sad. "Remember what I've told you and know that I will watch over you. Wake up now. Kill Hedge and foil Gaea's plans. Do it for me."

oOo


	14. Chapter 13

**AN: Thank you to all the dear people that reviewed and faved last week. I do apologise for the shock I put you through. I would like to notify you all that I am doing my best to get this finished before the Blood of Olympus comes out. Here are some replies to your reviews:**

Claire-Elizabeth: Thank you for the great review with the perfect grammar and congratulations on writing your name correctly. The coach unfortunately will not be making an appearance in this chapter as your screaming has scared him away. Nevertheless, thanks once again!

Mist: I do sympathise with you greatly. Do tell me what you think of this chapter after you read it; I hope it is to your tastes. Thanks for the review!

Average Canadian: I have taken your request into consideration and it is the process of being processed. I'd like to thank you for your enthusiasm in fighting for the life of a great character and look forwards to hearing from you again. Thanks for the review!

: Well….. Definitely one of the most heartfelt reviews I've ever gotten (Better make it a plan to kill main characters a lot more) Thank you for your two beautiful reviews and I do hope that this chapter will brighten your spirits a little. Looking forwards to hearing from you again.

Rest of you who read and mentally reviewed: Thanks for reading and I do hope that you will reveal yourself to me after reading this chapter.

**As of today, I have planned to make the final chapter number 18 (maximum 20), so there's still room for another amazing 'mini adventure' for our heroes. I think that most of you are going to like the events that happen after this- it's a nice mixture of friendship, angst and daring, heroic actions in my opinion. **

**Now, without further ado- please make welcome with a round of applause: **

**oOo**

**Chapter 13**

Reyna didn't feel like getting up the next morning. So she chose to lie idly where she'd woken up and scanned her surroundings with a world weary eye.

In the daze that was her state of mind at the present moment she noticed that the tent had been cleaned and their packs tidied.

Nico's body had been cleared away and she realised that she now lay where he had, probably covered by the same blankets that covered him. The horror of the discovery made her leap up so fast that her vision swam.

Tears came to her eyes.

He was dead.

She already missed the young man that had sat and laughed with her on the first night of their journey, the one who had saved her life. He was demigod who had shown remarkable devotion and love to family. The veteran of several battles who still managed to crack a smile once in a while, despite the harsh blows life dealt him.

The daughter of Bellona almost expected this to be some cruel joke, she could visualise that Nico was going to jump out from behind a tree the moment she stepped outside and laugh at her stupidity.

But, it was not meant to be.

Loneliness washed over her. It was strange how one never realised the importance of something until it was gone. She'd always felt abandoned- by her mother, by her peers, but now she was truly utterly alone.

It scared her. Reyna didn't like admitting weakness, but Nico's death was devastating. Not just because of the actual event, but because she feared the aftermath.

The events of her dream came back to her and she felt herself pondering the harshness of reality. Could Hedge really have betrayed them? Surely the sarcastic and oddly caring demigod protector couldn't be a traitor. But that could explain why he was almost never at the camp. In fact, he wasn't even together with them for most of the quest- that was more than enough time to plot with Gaea.

Then her mind's eye turned to the dream she experienced when rushing back to camp with Scipio. She saw Hedge watching Nico again, and was puzzled by the concern and terror in his eyes. Surely no one could act that well.

There was only one way to find out- a direct confrontation.

After all, if he wasn't a traitor, they were both going to die here in the freezing cold of Iceland. If he was… Reyna vowed to avenge Nico before submitting to her fate.

oOo

She didn't bother putting on her armour. Hedge would no match for her if it came down to a physical fight. Her head spun at the thought of having to kill someone that she'd confided in and respected.

The Praetor exited the tent, trying not to look suspicious, but failing, "Coach?"

There was no reply and she drew her sword, comforted by its solidness in the silence.

Something moved a few minutes away and she was instantly alert. A shape rose from the ground, shaking slightly to rid itself of snow.

Reyna relaxed as she recognised Scipio. The pegasus shook snow from its body and the Praetor moved forwards to greet the animal.

"Hey."

The demigod spun around and nearly screamed in horror.

"Get away from me!" Reyna screeched in the heat of the moment, 'You're dead!"

Nico sighed in exasperation, taking his hands out of his pockets, "What? Not this again…"

He moved towards her, despite the sword now levelled at his chest, "I didn't die. Don't you remember saving me?"

"You're a monster of Gaea's, aren't you?" She made a swiping motion and the thing jumped back, now drawing its own weapon.

"Reyna, please…" The boy leaned his sword point casually on the ground, but the Praetor's trained eyes could see how his arm trembled, too weak to hold up the weapon. "I am not _dead_."

Reyna didn't back down, but she desperately wished that he… it was telling the truth.

"Did you actually see my body after I supposedly died?"

Now she hesitated, "I-"

The creature which looked amazingly like Nico moved closer, holding out his arms in a friendly gesture. His sword tip trailed on the ground.

"Why should I trust you?"

Nico smiled at her, his fingers loosening on the hilt of the deadly weapon trailing him. It dropped into the snow. It would take only a small thrust forwards to kill the thing. It wasn't even wearing armour. But something stopped her. Perhaps it was a sixth sense or something. Even when he pushed aside her blade, she didn't feel an urge to kill him.

"I saw what you fought to get the herb," Nico looked serious, "You shouldn't have put yourself in such danger for me."

She lowered her sword, "You would've died."

"So what?" his gaze was piercing "I'm just a method of _transportation_ in this quest. You are _much _more important. It is not just the statue that must get to camp; you must also be there to make peace."

"We wouldn't have been able to get there if you were _dead_."

The other demigod was shouting at her now, "All roads lead to Rome- you two could've found another route!" He hissed, "You must _never_ put yourself in such danger again!"

His reaction irked her and she reacted with equal ferocity, "I thought you might at least be a little bit grateful!"

He didn't meet her eyes and after a few moment of building silence, the young man pulled her into his arms.

Giving in and making peace was much easier than fighting and she gratefully returned the rare gesture.

She had never actually been this close to the Son of Hades, and it was a strange sensation. Reyna could feel Nico's body hum softly with energy both impulsive and violent. It made her feel safe and threatened at the same time. Sparks seemed to trail in her skin.

Now that the praetor had gotten over her shock, she realised that Nico was faintly warm, not as warm as a regular human, not definitely not cold and lifeless as she's presumed.

"You're right," Nico murmured near her ear, "I'm sorry. Thank you, Reyna."

She didn't really know to say, and had just started to pull away when Nico tensed.

Someone coughed behind them.

oOo

They sprung around. Nico swept up his sword and pointed it at the newcomer, glaring suspiciously. She followed suit.

The man standing behind them was familiar. Dressed in a purple toga trimmed with golden, the man was the epitome of royalty.

"Lord Jupiter," the Praetor hurried to give a bow.

"Why do you not address me, boy?"

"Zeus," Nico spat.

The man's form flickered and the air around them became charged, shadows whirred and clashed with miniature jerks of lightning. "Do not call me by that name or I will smite you!" He thundered.

"I'm sure you'll succeed this time," the son of Hades sounded resentful and Reyna guessed that their feud was a bit more than the typical Big Three issue.

"How dare you mock me? Do you think I won't?"

The Praetor opened her mouth to tell Nico to shut up before they all got blasted, but he silenced her with a glare. "I think that you would have killed me already if you could afford to, uncle."

The king of the gods fumed silently, and grimaced as though speaking the next words hurt him physically, "I may have wronged you in the past, nephew. But the past is worthless when compared to the future."

Nico's eyes burned with anger, but he kept quiet long enough for Reyna to join in the conversation, "How can we help you, my lord?"

"The fate of the gods rest on your shoulders, and until the rift between our forms is fixed; we cannot rise up against Gaea." Jupiter told her, "You must bring the statue to Camp Half-Blood and make peace with the Greeks."

His eyes bore into hers, alight with flashes of electricity, "But heed my warning. Beware the minions of the sky. Beware the vengeful mother."

With a bright flash of light and a clash of thunder the god was gone. Reyna stood dumbfolded for a moment longer before coming to her senses.

Behind her, Nico huffed in anger and slid his weapon back into its sheath, "Isn't uncle just so helpful."

"I'm going to go find the coach," he started to walk away, "Get ready to travel."

**oOo**

**Does that deserve a favourite or a review? I do live and breathe them. **


	15. Chapter 14

**AN: Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for their patience! As promised, this chapter is the beginning of another mini adventure! Thanks to all the people that reviewed and favourite last week, there are the replies:**

Pastamarinara: Thanks for the review! I too share your delight and I'm sure Nico would be most happy to know that there are amazing people that care about his wellbeing! Hope to hear from you again soon!

Claire-Elizabeth: Thanks again for the review! I do indeed need to dedicated reviewers like you! There are indeed lots of vengeful mothers in mythology- I'm sure Zeus didn't know which one if was and therefore couldn't tell you guys.

MrsdiAngelo: Thanks for the review! As for whether it is Nico… Maybe…. Maybe not. Wait and see!

Holly: Thanks for the review! I do hope you enjoy this update!

Guest: Thanks! I do love it when my readers tell me that my story almost made them cry. Makes me feel such evil glee! Hahaha! As for Hazel- don't you worry, I haven't forgotten about her!

For everyone else that read and mentally reviewed- THANKS! (But I'd love to meet you all!)

**Now… I do sincerely hope that you all enjoy…**

**Chapter 14**

Eventually Nico returned with Hedge and then promptly went back inside the tent to 'back up'. Reyna wasn't sure why his mood changed so suddenly, but there was nothing she could do anyways.

Nico was just so confusing to understand that it wasn't worth trying.

The satyr started to make breakfast with a few fish he'd caught. How he could catch fish in frozen lakes was too great a mystery for Reyna to work out, so she busied herself with checking through her gear, sighing slightly at the small mysteries of her companions.

After a while, the son of Hades exited, now clad in full armour. Reyna could see that his right arm was tightly encased by a bandage. The young man unsheathed his sword gingerly and gave it a few experimental swings. The blade made a whistling sound as it cut through the air. Suspicious wisps of greyish smoke seemed to coil from it and the Praetor made a mention note to stay away from the weapon.

The demigod winced once in a while, but even with an injured limb, the Praetor could see that he knew a lot more about melee than which side to use to cut things. He was almost qualify as expert.

"Breakfast!"

Nico looked up so suddenly at the call that he almost tripped over. Reyna watched he hastily packed up and just about bounce over to where Hedge was. Reyna resisted the urge to roll her eyes and followed him.

The satyr was displaying a plate of burnt fish that looked so bad that it probably wasn't eating. She looked at Nico and knew that similar thoughts were racing through his brain.

"What exactly is this… _fish_?"

"Food!" Hedge thumped the young man on the back and handed him a fish, "Eat up!"

The satyr fumbled around in his backpack, found a few pieces of scrap metal and chewed on them with a sigh of satisfaction. He plopped on to the ground nearby and watched the two demigods.

Nico handed her a fish, "Ladies first."

"Wimp."

She took a bite of the disgusting blacken meat and almost gagged. No amount of mental preparation was enough to endure the horror that she'd just felt, "The inside is still raw!"

The son of Hades placed the rest of the _food _on the ground near her feet. "I'll do with some nectar. You can have the rest of this…fish."

oOo

At about midday, they were finally ready to go.

The three of them stood in a ring, with ropes latched about each of them. A slightly paranoid Nico had made sure that they checked each rope at least five times to be completely certain that no one was going to 'slip out'.

"Where are we going?" Hedge asked.

Nico didn't bother opening his eyes, "Northern Canada. Hold on and don't say anything."

They held hands and waited in the silence. .

Nico spoke suddenly, "Reyna?"

"Yes?"

"I was going to tell you this last time… Do not break my hand."

She barely had time to retort that before they were swallowed by darkness. The cheerful sound of Hedge's laughter was the only companion to her embarrassment.

oOo

A few minutes of feeling like her face was going to peel off was enough to sober her up completely, despite the early start.

A moment later, they slammed into the ground. Hard.

The statue fell over and Hedge flew into a pile of snow. Nico collapsed and almost dragged her down. The daughter of Bellona dropped to her knees beside him and felt so relieved that she almost kissing the solid ground beneath them. _Almost._

"Are you alright?"

Nico groaned and pushed himself up, "I'll live…But we're not going anywhere for some time."

Hedge burst out of nowhere with a shower of snow and Reyna nearly stabbed him in surprise. The satyr seemed oblivious to his close demise.

"Why do we always have to land in the snow?"

Nico gave him a glare, the gesture slightly ruined by the fact he looked weak and tired. He opened his mouth to give his best try at a retort when there was blinding flash of golden light right in the middle of their vague triangle.

Reyna could only see black spots for a moment, and when she came to her full senses, she could see Nico pointing his sword at three newcomers.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

The three figures were encased in a pale blue light. The middle figure was slightly short and female. She was flanked by two tall men sporting white, feathery wings.

The female moved forwards with gracefully steps, "Put away your sword, darling. There's no need to be afraid."

Reyna observed the woman with an expert eye.

She was very beautiful, the Praetor decided, but in a cold kind of way. Her light green dress flowed like water as she moved. Her features were delicate and framed by light golden hair. The tiara of ice she wore gave no clue to her identity.

Beside her, Nico had lowered his sword obediently and was staring at the woman with an expression crossed between awe and curiosity.

"Do you have a name, lady?" He intoned cautiously.

"I am Oreithyria, goddess of mountain winds," she traced a finger upon Nico's jaw, her mouth lifting into a charming smile at the captivated gaze the boy granted her, "Who are you, young hero?"

The son of Hades was too busy staring to reply so Reyna gave him a shove on the back.

He jerked out of his trance, "I am Nico di Angelo, my lady. Son of Hades." He gestured to the two winged men standing behind the goddess, "Who are they?

The woman waved a dismissing hand in their direction, "My sons, Calais and Zetes. Ignore them."

Reyna stepped forwards, "I am Reyna, my lady. Praetor of New Rome."

The goddess stared down her nose disdainfully and made a swiping motion from her to Nico, "Are you two…"

Nico laid a hand on her arm before she could deny the assumption.

The goddess gave them an icy leer and laid a friendly hand on the son of Hades' shoulder for a bit too long, "Ah, young love… How romantic." She turned to Coach Hedge, "Who's he?"

"I'm Gleeson Hedge, A grade demigod protector." The satyr puffed out his chest and ran a hand through his hair.

Nico winced and looked sympathetic, "He's our butler, actually."

"What did you say, cupcake?"

Oreithyria looked taken back, "Pardon me?"

The son of Hades took the moment to lean in closer to the woman, "He's a bit messed up in the head. Delusional." He made a twirling movement about his temple, "Sometimes he thinks Reyna and I are cupcakes."

"Ah, I see." The goddess gave him a cheeky wink, "So what are you all doing wandering around in the snow?

Nico's gaze became guarded, "Sightseeing, my lady. We've heard many times of the grandeurs of Canada."

The goddess' previous look of suspicion faded, "Well! How about the two of you come to a feast at my palace tonight?"

One of the winged gods behind her stepped up to a stop next to Reyna.

"Indeed we do," he proclaimed, giving Reyna a winning glance that was so overwhelming it was disturbing, "Especially if guest is as lovely as you, lady."

The Praetor was thoroughly frightened by this declaration of affection. She shook her head, "Actually, we have to-"

Nico's grip tightened painfully abruptly and she threw him a glance. He shook his head- a slight, almost indistinguishable motion. There was a warning in his eyes.

The son of Hades grinned as someone had offered him the best thing in the world.

"We would be honoured."

oOo

AN: Favourites and reviews are much appreciated! Got a suggestion? Got a comment? Post and I'll consider and reply!


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: Hello everyone! Thanks for waiting! I do hope you all enjoy this chapter and leave me with some favourites and reviews! Had to rush this one a bit, so I do apologise for some lack of flow. **

2509su: Thanks! Cliff-hangers are great fun! In fact I used to do a lot of hang gliding so I have lots of practise.

To everyone else who mentally commented: Thanks very much as well!

**Without further ado…. Enjoy!**

oOo

Chapter 15

Travelling in a warm cocoon of air would have been a pleasant and stylish experience if Nico wasn't gripping onto her arm so tightly. She was sure that there was going to be a huge bruise there tomorrow.

The strange party of three gods, two demigods and one angry satyr landed outside the gates of an icy palace. Nico looked like he wanted to lie on the ground forever, and was probably going to before Reyna dragged him to a sitting position roughly.

"The poor boy!" Oreithyria exclaimed, "Calais, go help him!"

Reyna started when the god approached, wary that he was going to try and sweet-talk her as well. But Calais only offered her a small smile and helped her support Nico. Together they managed to hoist him off the ground.

"Are you alright?" the god asked, waving a hand in front of the boy's face.

Nico grimaced, "I'm fine, air travel just doesn't agree with me. No harm done."

The former nodded in reply. He offered his hand, "Please to meet you. I'm Calais."

Nico took the offered handshake, "Likewise, my lord. Call me Nico."

While the two men were busy building a friendship, Reyna surveyed the structure in front of her. Despite herself, she was impressed. The rising icy towers of the building went endlessly into the clouds. Half of the structure was too hard to make out and she gave up trying. She turned around and nearly ran into someone.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Zetes had sidled up next to her and took the opportunity to snake an arm around her shoulders. "It took us many hundreds of years to build."

His mother cuffed him sharply upside the head, "No time for chitter chatter, son." She waved a hand at Hedge and the statue, "You help the goat thing carry the statue."

oOo

It took a while to calm Hedge down and even longer to persuade him that it was better if he went to secure the statue in the underground stores with Zetes, instead of making faces at Oreithyria every few minutes.

The goddess had excused herself the moment they arrived, after notifying that there was going to be a ball held in their honour at seven that night.

Calais led them up a series of winding staircases and corridors under they reached a foyer with two marble staircases leading up to different corridors.

"My lady, your chambers are on the right," He gestured, "Are your chambers are on the left, Nico."

The son of Hades nodded a thank you and the god, seeing that his services were no longer needed, disappeared into a puff of air.

"Should we go and check on Hedge?" Nico asked.

Reyna shook her head, "No, I'm sure he can find us when he's finished securing the statue."

Her companion nodded, seeing her logic. He led the way to his chambers and after listening carefully at the door for a moment, went inside.

"There no point checking," she reasoned, "If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done so already."

Nico hesitated, in the middle of poking his sword through a curtain. His sword went back into its sheathe and he went across the room to pour himself a drink from some glass decanters that stood on a mantel.

The sigh he gave seemed to whistle through the whole room, "Have you ever thought about giving up, Reyna?"

"Giving up?"

"Yes. What if the gods are wrong?" The young man waved at their surroundings, "What if what we're doing is wrong?"

"Are you suggesting that Gaea is right?"

Nico sighed in exasperation, "No. I mean, what if there's an alternative to Gods and Titans?"

She gave him a quizzical look. Obviously that air travel had messed up his mind.

"It's a cycle, Reyna." He told her flatly, taking his half drunken glass back on the mantel, "We demigods live to kill monsters and they live to kill us, but in the end all it causes is pain and destruction. Wouldn't it be better if mythological beings just didn't exist?"

The Praetor glanced around nervously, she had a fleeting thought that the two of them might be struck down at any moment for such traitorous thoughts. She didn't want to voice that opinion thought, so instead she said, "You're too young to think that that, Nico."

The son of Hades sat down in a conveniently placed armchair and looked glum. "We're demigods. It's never too young for us to think like that. It's never too young for us to die."

Reyna didn't really think arguing with him about death was going to do any good. Death was his area of expertise anyways. She sat down opposite to him, making sure that her sword was in a handy position where it couldn't jab her.

"How old are you?'

The instant she asked that, the Praetor knew that it was not a good thing to ask. Nico's eyes took on a guarded look.

"I am 15."

"Hazel told me-"

"She's wrong." Nico told her stiffly, "Time isn't time if you spent it doing nothing."

Her temper flared- why was the boy in front of her so thick and dismissing all the time?

"So all the wars and deaths that took place while you were safely put away in your time cocoon meant nothing?"

Nico looked as annoyed as she was, "Other people's deaths mean nothing to me if I am not involved or affected."

"What about the ones that you caused?"

She mentally berated herself. That was a cruel question to ask, especially to someone that had lost almost every loved one to death and had only a father, who just happened to be the lord of the dead, to take consolation in.

"What do you mean?"

The vision that Gaea had shown her floated to the surface of her mind and the image of Nico's crazed expression made her want to shudder. Now that they'd gone this far, it was better to just get straight to the point.

"Have you ever killed a demigod?"

Nico sucked in a choked breath and refused to look her in the eye. For a moment, she thought that he had closed himself off again, but then the young man nodded. It was reluctant and tiny movement of the head.

Her heart pounded and she resisted the urge to draw her weapon. "Do you remember him or her?"

Nico was silent for so long that she almost rose to leave. "Them."

The atmosphere became so charged that Reyna felt she could reach up to grab a piece of air. The shadows twisted into odd shapes, stretching in great lengths and then contracting- as if they were pleading for release.

"But...Yes, I do." the son of Hades had that shattered look once again and he shook his head to clear it. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper, "The first boy was a son of Hypnos."

She sat and waited, nodding at him to continue.

"It was in the battle against Kronos… He led a small group of monsters to harass our left flank. He was putting Father's soldiers to sleep and I had to deal with him before he did too much damage."

"So you killed him?"

"Yes, I did." Nico's hand twitched at the hilt of his sword, "I am not proud of what I did, Reyna. I did try my best to make up for it." His eyes were pleading now, "I begged Father until he let the demigods that fought for Kronos to stay in the Fields of Asphodel instead of Punishment."

She didn't move or show any clear emotion, but her heart felt a lighter. "It was a war, I'm not going to judge you for self-defence. Sorry for bringing this up."

It took a few moments for her companion to go back to his normal rational and emotionless self.

"Could Oreithyria be the vengeful mother Zeus mentioned?" She asked, trying to move on to another topic.

"We haven't done anything to harm her," Nico mused, "Why would she be vengeful towards us?"

"Maybe Gaea manipulated her to become vengeful?"

Nico stood turned to the window. "Maybe Gaea is the vengeful mother?"

That didn't seem to make sense in her mind. Obviously they would be careful of Gaea, so why would Zeus come just to tell them? She voiced that thought and Nico was silent for a moment. She imagined the cogs of his mind turning and then getting stuck in the same place that she had been.

"I have no idea." He concluded with a hint of disappointment. "I suppose we can only wait and see."

Reyna rose. It was obvious that this was the end of their conversation for now. "You're probably right. We'll see after the party tonight."

Nico nodded in agreement, "You're right. I'll meet you on the main staircase at 6:50 then."

"6:30."

"Why so early?"

"Because I have no intention of allowing Zetes to be my escort."

The young man grinned and gave her a mock salute.

She took her leave, confident that his sense of loyalty would come through before Zetes' attempts to woo her.

oOo

…

**Enjoy? Favourite? Review? **


	17. Chapter 16

**AN: Hello dear readers! I do apologise for the long time taken to update! Nevertheless, we are still on track and making good progress! **

**Thanks to all those the faved this story and reviewed! Here are some replies!**

2509su: I must agree with you! Nico is much better than the creepy god chasing after Reyna. Nevertheless, Zetes will be making a lot more appearances. (Previous apology if the sight of his ugly face damages your mind). As for writing Reyna in a calmer way… I did indeed try to show her in a different light, just to provide a deeper exploration of her character. As for writing the part you requested- No problem at all! Please keep reviews and suggesting, I'm always happy to listen to my awesome readers!

Cher: Is it? Who know? Read and find out :)

Guest who wrote that lovely long message: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will definitely keep on adding addictive and emotional scenes just for you! Hope to hear from you again soon! *covers my neck*

Smallbob: Wow! Thanks for the compliment! I enjoyed writing the parts you mentioned as well. As for whether there is going to be a hint of NicoxReyna… who knows? Read on and find out! Thanks once again!

Guest who commented on Aug 30 with a great question: Thanks for the review! I hope Nico isn't late! But who know? Read on!

Guest who commented on Sep 2: Thanks very much! Here's another chapter to satisfy you!

Guest who commented on Sep 4: You request had been processed. Here is the next update! Enjoy!

Vampireguest: Hello! I have not stopped writing! As long as I breathe, I shall not stop typing up the delicious works that I use to tempt you all! Hahaha! Thanks for the review! Here is another update! (So many vampires nowadays…)

**Phew! Thanks to all your lovely people! I hope to hear from you all again! To all those that didn't review- thanks as well! **

**Now… Without further ado….**

oOo

Chapter 16

Reyna realised that her room was identical to Nico's the moment she entered. The only difference was the colour scheme.

Before this, she had never thought anyone would think that hot pink walls were a good idea. This experience was really an eye opener.

She scanned the room, grimacing at the horrifying colour the whole time, checked behind the curtain and opened the bathroom door carefully. Nico had really rubbed off on her. She came back to the main room and noticed that there was a piece of paper taped to the back of the large doors.

Curious.

Carefully, afraid that it might lead to something dangerous, she pulled it off and stared for a moment at the small, neat print.

_-My mother did not want me to tell you, but I felt that it would be unfair for you to go to the ball without a proper dress. The old wardrobe in the corner of the room can provide you with some. I suggest you let it choose. I will see you later in the night. Calais. - _

Why the god wanted to help her was another mystery that she'd have to solve. He seemed nice enough, but gods didn't help anyone unless there was something in it for them.

The Praetor hurried over the wardrobe, her mind whirring with questions. Unimportant ones that were quickly pushed aside as she sucked in a breath at the sight of the mentioned wardrobe.

Until that moment, the piece of furniture had been hidden in one of the darkest corners of the room. She whipped back the curtains and gave a gasp of surprise.

The wardrobe was one made of some sort of antique wood. Oak perhaps. It glowed faintly, powered by some godly device perhaps. Curious markings adorned the doors and in the dim, pale light Reyna could make out the slender figure of a woman. She can't help but traced a finger along the head of the carving, feeling that the picture was strangely familiar.

The girl had plaited hair- a thick bundle trailing down her left shoulder. Her wooden face was half crumbled away, but there was no doubt that the picture was of her.

Her.

What kind of magic was this?

She had seen such devices before, on Circe's island. The other girls there had loved admiring themselves in the pieces of furniture, which showed them in full splendour. Gave them their heart's desire.

It was manipulative magic, but she couldn't resist looking at the carving depiction of herself again. It was, in one word, beautiful.

What really caught her attention was the figure's dress- a lovely twirling item that seemed to ripple as she moved her head. Even without colour and full form, the material was no doubt soft and flowing.

Could it be?

Reyna grasped the handle of the door and twisted. It was unlocked. She opened it further and was met with a stroke from the silky material hanging inside.

She opened the door wider, and the true glory of the full length gown was revealed. The material blow softly into her face, its vivid wine purple and sequenced fabric flowing elegantly.

It was the kind one would wear to a expensive ball- something that looked nice, but was modest enough to be worn without embarrassment.

If words could describe perfection, this would be it.

Looking down, she found that the wardrobe had also provides a range of shoes and accessories to go with it.

"It's beautiful, but not the kind of thing I'd normally go for," She told the aged wood. "Do you really think I should wear that?"

There was no reply and she felt stupid for talking to a piece of furniture. There were no other items of clothing inside, so it was obvious that it was the chosen one.

She sighed, debating for a moment with herself and pondering what consequences could come about if she wandered into the party with her combat boot.

_Damn it. _

Time to get changed.

oOo

Nico was waiting for her on the steps.

His clothes evaporated any thoughts about her dress being too fancy. Reyna scanned his formal attire, exaggerated with some sort of silken black material and a lot of silver trimmings.

The son of Hades looked older, more serious and just plain different. She mentally noted the resemblance she saw in him and his father. The same sharp features, skin tone and piercing gaze were obvious. She wondered if the god had looked like that when younger, or if gods could even go through various stages of life.

Hedge stood next to him, still dressed in his grubby pants. At least his club was nowhere to be seen. The two of them conversed in low tones.

As she watched, Nico ran a hand through his hair, disturbing the dark strands that lay in neat rows and kept in place by what looked like a lot of gel. Self-conscious, no doubt.

"Hey," she called, coming down the stairs. It was only then that she realised the overly long train her dress was trailing behind her gracefully, highlighting her slender legs. Bested by a piece of furniture, she thought with a tinge of amusement.

Nico's mouth fell open for a moment and his eyes scanned up and down, gaze staying perhaps slightly long on certain parts. His mouth pulled into a wide smile, "Reyna… You look lovely tonight." He ran a hand through his hair again.

"Thanks," she beamed, coming to a stop in front of him.

Nico winked and offered his right arm, "I didn't know you had it in you."

The former huffed, annoyed that she'd fallen for that one, and slammed her hand onto his previously injured forearm in anger, barely regretting it when the son of Hades winced. Through the cool material of his jacket, she could feel the scratchy gauze of a bandage. But there was no way she was going to apologise.

"You look kind of presentable too," she told him stiffly as they started down another flight of stairs. "Where did you get your clothes from?" she added, the question brought on by a spark of curiosity.

Nico grinned at Hedge, "You hear that? The lady paid me a compliment." The coach gave a grunt, looking less than happy as he chewed on a tin. The son of Hades ignored the unenthusiastic reply and turned to her instead, "I used a wardrobe. It seemed that it has the same kind of fashion sense my father does."

Reyna turned and surveyed her escort with a keen eye. She took in all the various silver tussles, glittering buttons set with gems and various medals that hung on his chest, jousting with each other for the best position. A stylised silver feather lay over his heart, branching out elegantly and arcing across his left shoulder so that it looked like the young man had a wing.

She dropped his arm, "You look like someone going to a 17th century fancy dress party."

Reyna turned her back to the men and went ahead, grinning as Hedge's laughter echoed to the rafters of the castle.

oOo

They stopped in front of the huge doors of the throne room and collected themselves. After a great amount of complaining and pleading, Reyna was back on Nico's arm. Hedge trudged along behind, looking completely miserable.

"Well…" Reyna began, "What do we do now?"

Nico shrugged, "I think our servant should open the doors for us."

Hedge growled a warning behind them.

"…Or not."

Coach Hedge slapped Nico upside the head as he passed the two of them. "Stupid demigods." The satyr had barely laid a hand on the door, before it swung back by itself.

The effect was instantaneous. Blasting classical music nearly exploded their eardrums. A blinding swirl of colours make Reyna flinch instinctively. She cursed herself for not bringing a weapon.

Inside the hall were hundreds of young girls dancing and swaying to the tune. They all looked similar, and Reyna could only kind of tell them apart by their colourful dresses.

At the other end of the room, past the horde of dancing women and long dining tables filled with strange looking dishes, was a raised dais. Even from this distance, Reyna could hear the musical, flowing voice of Oreithyia.

Nico gave her a pointed look and lead her inside.

Whispers started as they passed through the crowd and the nearest girls stopped and gaped at them after them. A few blushed and dropped their gaze to the ground when Nico offered them a smile.

One bolder girl stepped forwards, fluttering her eyelashes in a coy fashion. "My lord." She dropped into a curtsy in front of Nico.

She made to move forwards, but tripped over the silken hem of her long dress, giving a cry in the process of tumbling over. The son of Hades caught her a second before she hit the ground.

Reyna rolled her eyes- _What a coincidence. _

"Are you alright?"

The girl buried her head into Nico's chest, looking to be on the verge of tears, "Thank you! Thank you so much! I'm such a clumsy girl. What a terrible fall! Why, if you hadn't been there-"

"Mist!" A voice roared, "You stupid girl! Be away with you!"

Said girl jumped up so quickly that her head nearly smashed into Nico's chin. She scampered away, head down and silent.

Reyna saw the son of Hades move closer to her as a slim figure approached. She curtsied politely as Nico took Oreithyia's hand and pressed his lips to it.

"You must excuse her, Lord di Angelo." The goddess purred, "She is the dumbest of all my children. But she has quite a flair for flirting. I do apologise."

"On the contrary, my lady, I think she provided a great entrée for your beauty and words."

Reyna stepped in before Nico overdid it with the flattery. "How many children do you have, my lady?"

Oreithyia regarded her with the same expression as one did a cockroach and she waved an arm around the hall, "They are all my children, girl."

Hedge drew in a sharp breath behind them. Reyna fought the urge to reach for a weapon. Only Nico managed to throw his head back and laugh. The rest of them gave him questioning looks.

"What pray, is so funny?" The goddess queried.

The smile melted off his face, "All your children? But surely… My lady, you are not joking?" He dropped Reyna's arm, "You look barely a day over five hundred."

Oreithyia's flashed Nico a wide smile and her face morphed into one that resembled a love-struck young girl. She took the arm Nico offered and the pair of them waddled through the crowd together, chatting happily and occasionally breaking into giggles.

Reyna looked after them for a second, but her building anger was interrupted by a cough from Hedge.

"Cupcake, I'm gonna go look at the food trays. You wanna come?"

She scanned her surroundings, taking in the frenzied dancing girls. Now was the perfect time to snoop around.

"You go on ahead; I want to look around a bit."

Hedge shrugged and left, tempted by the prospect of free metal to eat. Reyna was about to go her own way when two winged figures blocked her way.

"My lady, you look beautiful tonight," Calais complimented and then blushed furiously, turning his gaze to the ground. Zetes, on the other hand was more direct in his approach. His eyes scanned her body openly, lingering on her breasts and legs.

"The dress shows off your figure most finely, Ree-na."

It looked like the creepy god was going for a French accent tonight. The way he pronounced her name was discerning. Said person leaned forwards, took her hand and pushed his lips against it. Calais did the same, but with more gentleness.

Zetes frowned at his brother, "Looks like Galea needs your help- go to her." He gave the protesting god a shove in the direction of where a young girl was standing.

For a moment, Reyna felt nervous in the flimsy piece of cloth she was wearing. Zetes was still eyeing her like a hungry dog and even though he made no move to touch her, the Praetor felt violated. Maybe it was time for a distraction. "Let's go to the head table and see what your mother is doing."

Zetes just about grabbed her hand, "I'll lead the way, my lovely Ree-na."

oOo

They found Oreithyia feeding Nico peeled grapes and giggling in a girly fashion at the head table. A few girls stood by, holding a huge plate of various foods and filling their cups when needed.

Reyna left the open mouthed Zetes behind and sidling up to them, "Nico."

The son of Hades glanced at her with a half dazed expression. "Reyna? Where have you been?" Even from a few feet away, Reyna could smell the dizzying scent of alcohol on his breath.

A sense of betrayal overwhelmed her. Even Nico had abandoned her. Oreithyia grinned at her shocked expression and signalled for one of her daughters to top up Nico's glass again.

The Praetor knew that she had to do something to see if her companion was in control or not. As the goddess struck up conversation again, Reyna sat down in the seat behind Nico and took a deep breath. Gently, to avoid alarming him, she looped her arms around Nico's waist from behind.

The son of Hades started in surprise, and he turned around. Abruptly, his eyes cleared and searched hers intently.

The young man leaned in closer, "I know what I'm doing, Reyna."

Reyna could only blush at his closeness, a sight which seemed to annoying Oreithyia further. To top it up, Nico took her hands in his and held them there, against his abdomen.

Calais arrived soon after and was confused at the tenseness of the atmosphere. The rest of the night passed in a hazy of drinking and taciturn talking with the gods. Oreithyia excused herself with a strained smile a few more hours into the night. Reyna tugged up the half-drunk son of Hades and bid her goodnight.

The goddess left with a defeated expression, but the Praetor knew that they were far from safe.

oOo

**Reviews are most appreciated! Thanks! **


	18. Chapter 17

**AN: I'd like to thank everyone for their patience! We are slightly behind schedule, but I promise I will work extra hard to finish this story before the book comes out. Only a maximum of 3 chapters to go- a piece of news that is both great and sad. Nevertheless, here are the replies to reviews!**

2509su- Thanks once again for your support, I feel that I cannot stress this enough- always the first the review and with such nice comments too! I did enjoy writing this chapter too, it's rare to see a such scenes in the series or in other fanfics, so I really wanted to try it out. I do try to put a bit of OCness in my characters- enough to make them 3D, but not so much that they deviate from the storyline. I thought long and hard about their clothes, so I'm glad you like it! About Nico not carrying a sword- I guess it wouldn't have made that much of a difference. After all, if the goddess wanted to kill them, there's not much they can do in her castle :)

Chi Sweet Tea- Thanks very much for the review! I do agree, this chapter is quite different- but as long as you like it! Regarding weapons, I gave a lot of thought regarding their weapons, but later disregarded the idea of Reyna carrying a weapon, mainly because it would have been quite suspicious with a floor length dress.

Soladtino- Well, there was indeed a lot of people checking each other out, but I hope that I kept it to a good degree :) Thanks very much for the comments, and a special thanks about my descriptions of the demigods- looks like the intended outcome worked! As for the vengeful mother… Well! Read on! Read on!

Vampire guest- Hello vampire! *covers neck* Thanks for the lovely, devoted reviews! I love your rants- they bring great atmosphere. Too long to answer here, and soooo many compliments that my brain almost exploded from happiness! Well, a BIG thank you! I think you will like that chapter! As for the chatroom idea- GO AHEAD! :P

**Phew! All done! Thanks to you all! And thanks to those who commented in their minds, it would be nice to write one out too! Now, without further ado…**

**oOo**

**Chapter 17**

Reyna had never imagined that accompanying someone from one place to another could be so hard. Even with the help of two gods, dragging a ridiculously drunk demigod around was a difficult feat.

By the time they arrived at Nico's assigned chambers they had broken most of the decorative items standing in the various corridors of the palace.

Half the time, the son of Hades worked diligently to lurch around and crashed into the many pedestals that displayed various precious objects.

Zetes would swoop in to catch the objects every time. Reyna had to admit he was pretty good at doing that- only half a dozen actually smashed. It was probably the thing she appreciated most about him, ever.

Whenever that happened, Reyna would smile sheepishly at him and scold the drunken Nico humorously.

All in all, it was an awkward progression, Calais had his hands full with holding up Nico's weight, literally and the experience was made unnerving by Zetes winking flirtatiously at her every few seconds.

Finally they arrived outside Nico's doors and she gave the job of dragging him inside to Calais, who barely managed to enter the doorway with a raving demigod and enormous wings. She was glad of the respite, until she realised she and Zetes were alone.

"Reee-na," the wind god pronounced in his 'French' accent, "It is a beautiful night… would you like to join me…"

The god winked at her again and Reyna fought the urge to shiver, "…in my bedchambers?"

His brother exited at that moment and looked more embarrassed than shocked. Reyna guessed this happened a lot.

The Praetor blushed despite herself, but before she could reject, there was a loud crash was heard inside Nico's room.

"Thank you for the kind offer," she battered her eyelashes in what she hoped was a meek and grateful action, "But I must go to see if my friend is alright."

A flash of annoyance crossed his face. Zetes moved towards her and she felt her guards tense, but the god only took her hand, "Perhaps another night then, my lady. My doors are always open for you. "

He pressed his lips to the back of her hand and smiled as her expression, taking the shock imprinted there was surprised delight, instead of utter horror and disgust. Calais offered her a sympathetic nod and the two young gods flew away.

Reyna hesitated for a moment, and then as a soft wind ruffled her dress and stroked her legs where the material was lacking, she rushed inside Nico's room and slammed the door shut before any strange breezes could get in.

She let out a breath she hadn't realised that she was holding, and was about to take another one when a cold hand clamped over her mouth.

oOo

This wasn't the first time that someone had tried murdering her in the dark. Reyna had practice. She drove her elbow into her would be attacker and grinned as she heard a pained grunt.

Using the opportunity, she broke free and turned to assess the danger.

"Nico?"

The Greek demigod had removed his outer suit and tie and looked slightly annoyed at being elbowed.

"What were you doing?" He hissed. "I waited for ages for you to get inside!"

Reyna stared at him in shock.

Standing straight with every muscle tense and ready for action, Nico was the very picture of soberness.

Reality slapped her in the face, "You weren't really drunk, were you?"

"Of course not!" The young man chuckled, "If someone were to clean the table, they'd find a whole heap of wine soaked sponges underneath."

Reyna felt like slapping him, "Damn you! I had to drag your ass all the way here, when you could have walked by yourself? I almost got molested by Zetes!"

"Shhh!" he made an annoyed gesture, but his eyes gleamed with laughter, "keep your voice down."

Nico dragged her into the inner bedroom, and Reyna marvelled at his ability to see in the dim light. He closed the door and regarded her with an unreadable expression, before crossing the room to where his armour and weapons lay. A similar looking wardrobe sat silently in the corner. Nico started the unbutton his shirt.

"Well?" Reyna demanded, trying not to flush with embarrassment as her companion stripped.

Nico continued undressing. Reyna remained silent. The room began to fill with a hostile aura. The only sounds were the ruffling if fabric. Eventually, Nico gave in.

He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry, ok? This is the only way I could think of to let down their guard."

Nico turned around and spread his arms in an apologetic gesture and Reyna found herself staring at the various scars and marred the pale muscle of his chest. The blackened key shaped mark stood out sharply on his abdomen.

The stare of noticed. Nico flushed and quickly pulled on a t-shirt. He picked up his armour and then thought better of it, instead leaving the heavy pieces on the ground.

"What now?"

The son of Hades took her question a bit too literally, "Now I am going to change my pants. But not while you're here."

"You're almost as bad as Zetes."

Nico raised a sceptic eyebrow, but then his expression turned serious again. "Listen to me- Go to your room now, in a few hours I'll come and get you. Get ready to make a quick escape. Replenish your supplies, but we'll be travelling light."

Reyna nodded her head in response, "Three hours?"

Nico glanced at her, "Fine."

She left, wearing a worried face for the sake of whoever may be watching.

oOo

Reyna jerked awake as some shook her.

"Huh?"

The son of Hades frowned at her from above, "This is not the time for sleeping."

The Praetor's mind cleared suddenly. She couldn't believe that she'd fallen asleep. Such an action was so abnormal and embarrassing that Reyna could imagine Nico secretly laughing at her, and her brain screamed at her to stand up quickly to feign alertness.

Her body, however, was not as awake as her mind. Instead, she could only goggle sluggishly at the son of Hades.

Luck for her, Nico thought the look was one of annoyance, "I'm sorry that it took so long to come and get you." He sighed, "Hedge and I had a bit of trouble with the statue. Let's go now, he's waiting in a safe spot for us now."

Reyna forced her tired body out of the chair and stood to face the young man before her. Their journey was almost over. She smiled at the thought, sightly wistful that the adventure would be over soon.

Nico looked confused by her sudden change of mood, but made no comment, glad to be in his companion's good book. Gently, she took his arm and they dropped through their own shadows.

Even as the world was still fading away, Reyna sensed that something was wrong. Besides her, in the darkness, she could feel Nico struggling.

Whether it was with something physically or the effort of controlling his powers, she had no idea. What followed was an eerie silence, in which she could only helplessly feel her companion's fear and anger wash over her.

Voices whispered in the dark. She tried to speak, but failed. Blackness oozed into her mouth the moment she opened it, so keeping quiet was the only option.

Reyna didn't dare remove her hand from Nico's arm either, lest she be stuck in the shadow world, but she knew that the son of Hades was heavily burdened.

Her companion struggled again, his body twisting as though he was trying to throw something, or someone off. Reyna hoped it wasn't her.

oOo

They crash landed on cold hard ground. Reyna smashed into Nico and fell on top of him, the hilts of her various weapons digging painfully into her stomach. She barely had time to ponder where they were when Nico shoved her off.

The son of Hades stood, a dark shadow moving in the early morning light. A hissing sound told her that he had drawn a weapon. Reyna stood too, noticing the gleaming palace barely a few hundred metres away.

Nico growled in anger, "Dammit, Zetes. Get away from us!"

She spun around just to see the god grin wickedly. "Why are you two off to? Surely not a romantic walk?"

Zetes started forwards towards them, and Nico moved to intervene. The former waved his hand and strong gust of wind pushed Nico back, knocking him off his feet to slam into the ground.

Reyna had her sword half drawn before Zetes clamped his hand on her wrist with such intensity that she almost tripped. From the corner of her eye she could see another winged figure land with a sight jolt.

"Brother! What are you doing?"

Zetes tightened his hold, "I'm busy, Calais. Go away!" Nico was struggling against the wind that kept him grounded, but he was making progress.

"Remember the ancient laws! We cannot begin a fight with demigods! Father would be displeased," the other god warned.

"Father is not here now, is he?" Zetes growled. Nevertheless, his grip loosened. Behind her, Reyna sensed Nico stirring.

The god's grip felt like an iron manacle around her wrist. Her other hands managed to pull out a small dagger and she swiped the weapon at the god, but could only watch in horror as it passed harmlessly through his body. Her arm was twisted painfully.

"Fool! I am the wind! I am a god!" Zetes sneered, "You cannot harm me!"

He moved closer, and his misty breath made the hairs at the back of her neck stand. "You're feisty- I like that."

"Our forces have already caught another girl for the sacrifice. A daughter of Hades. She's ugly, but her blood should be enough to appease the fates. So maybe Gaea will let me have you."

Reyna felt a thrill of horror overwhelm her, but Zetes paused in his advances. There was a glint in his eye as he watched Nico rise from the ground, trembling slightly. The son of Hades looked murderous. He growled a challenge at the hovering gods.

For a second, everything was still. Calais and Reyna called out a warning at the same time, but most likely for different reasons.

Nico stuck with incredible speed, and swung an overhead cut at the grinning god. Their blades met with a loud screech and both pressed to gain ground. But, in the end, being a god had its advantages.

Zetes supported his sword with one hand and pressed the index finger of his other to Nico's temple.

The demigod staggered away, dropping to the ground and holding his head. Reyna could see him clenching teeth to avoid screaming.

"What have you done to him?" Reyna demanded, displaying the naked blade of her sword.

"Nothing that he wasn't already doing to himself," Zetes chuckled, "I just increased the effects a bit."

She blinked for a moment, and in that single moment, Calais landed behind Nico, pressing a dirk to his throat.

"Give up now. Or he dies."

Reyna hesitated, and then dropped her sword. The weapon bounced away. Zetes moved next to his brother and dropped a hand in his shoulder. "Well done, brother. Take the girl to mother, I will deal with the boy."

oOo

The mess from last night had been cleared away. Sunlight streamed in from the arched windows, providing lighting for dancing dust particles.

Reyna knelt before Oreithyia, with Calais' sword point digging into her upper back.

"I should have known." The Praetor was livid, "Zeus warned me against you. You are the vengeful mother he mentioned."

Oreithyia looked pale for a second, but recovered just as quickly. She smiled- a creepy expression that made Reyna's blood run cold. _Would they all be killed? What would happen if they didn't get to camp on time?_

"Vengeful mother? I was unaware that even the great and mighty Zeus gave me a title," her voice dripped with contempt, "It suits me, I say!"

Reyna grounded her teeth together and refused to look away. Her head was up, proudly facing the enemy.

The goddess sighed, "Hear me speak and then tell me if my anger is justified. I was a princess, beloved by the entire world. Then I caught the eye of Boreas, he captured me and lay with me against my wishes, then dragged me here to be his queen. I hated him, and I hated the isolation that he forced on to me even more."

"My only joys were my children, and then they were taken away from me as well. The Olympians bottled and slayed them like animals. You little boyfriend's cousin killed me favourite daughter, Khione, and she still has not come back!"

Calais stepped into her line of sight, "Reyna, you have no idea how many brothers and sisters I have lost."

The god seemed to be almost pleading- asking her to understand.

"I don't want to listen to your pathetic excuses," she refused to look at him. Oreithyia had had an unfair past, but her anger was misdirected.

"Quiet, Calais!" The goddess snapped.

"Take this girl to the dungeons. Collect Nico when Zetes has finished with him."

Fear gripped her heart like a cold fist, "What is Zetes-"

Calais grabbed on to her upper arm. She shrugged him off, "At least afford me the dignity to walk by myself."

The grip was taken away, much to her surprise. Calais marched her through a winding maze of corridors, further down to the centre of the castle. Reyna felt her heart pound in fear. _What had Zetes done to Nico?_

Before long, they arrived at a heavy iron door. Two wind spirits with spears and shields hurried out of the way in the narrow corridor.

Calais gave her a soft shove and she had no choice but to move into the darkness.

**oOo**

**Favourite and review to tell me what you think! Thanks!**


	19. Chapter 18

**AN: Here is another chapter! There's only a few more weeks before Blood of Olympus comes out, but I will be able to finish this before then! I really do hope that you've all enjoyed this story as much as I have done writing it! **

**If I may say so, this is a very exciting chapter with some boiling, emotional scenes. I do hope you all like it! I'd like a thank everyone that read the last chapter, especially those that reviewed! **

Guest (2509su): First review, once again! Will anyone ever take honour from you? Thanks for another nice review! I did enjoy writing about the part where Reyna was depicted differently from the books. But I took care to not make her character deviate too much. You forgot my fanfic was not official- high praise there! Thanks so much! I will be making a nice dream for one of the characters in the next chapter (not this one, because it would be weird to have great dreams when you're waiting for your death). There will be more appearances from the wind gods here and in later chapters!

Hello this is me speaking: No worries at all! Reviews are always appreciated and your loyalty to this story makes my heart throb with pleasure :) Who knows what Zetes did Nico? The evil, crazy god… Thanks once again for your compliment! I had a laugh writing the drunken scene as well!

Soladtino: You knew you'd love that cliffhanger :) Nice guessing about who the vengeful mother was- try to predict what happens next! Hazel is also one of my favourite characters- such spirit and loyalty! Calais is quite a mysterious character, but here's more of him in this chapter to help you make up your mind! Thanks very much for the compliments! Read on!

**For everyone else that read and favourite- a BIG thank you! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

**oOo**

**Chapter 18**

"What is the meaning of this, brother?"

Zetes' grin made the Praetor shiver. Even Calais looked uneasy. "Do you not like it?"

Nico was chained to the wall, hanging by the metal links that gripped his wrists. His head lolled to one side. The only sign of life were the puffs of white mist from his faint breaths in the freezing room.

Calais lay a hand on her shoulder, as if he could guess that she was about to launch herself on Zetes and claw this sadistic grin off his ugly face. "Mother has not asked you to do such a thing."

His brother smirked unpleasantly, "Weak. Can't you stand the sight of a little fun?"

Calais bristled at the insult, and for a moment Reyna thought he was going to go something rash… ironic seeing as he was the one restraining her. The god managed to rein in his temper at the last moment, and instead chose to tighten his grip on her shoulder.

"You've had your fun… go do something useful now."

The Praetor had never heard such a dangerous tone from the quiet, bookish looking god, and was unnerved. Zetes seemed to be thinking somewhat along the same lines. His eyes shifted from his brother to her and then swung to Nico. Finally he waved his hand in dismissal.

Nico crashed to the ground behind them and groaned weakly. There were still chains connected his hands, but no longer to the wall. Zetes pushed past them and disappeared into the corridor outside.

Calais loosened his grip and Reyna rushed to kneel beside Nico's limp form.

"Gods. Are you alright?"

It was a stupid question, but saying it out loud was the natural thing to do. Nico opened one eyes and looked at her with a glazed expression. His lips shaped her name. Relief rushed through her- at least he wasn't too seriously injured.

The coldness of the ground sank through the thick material of her jeans and it came to mind that Nico probably had it worse with only a thin T-shirt.

Calais hung back in the shadows with an uncertain look. She turned to him and fixed a deathly glare, "Do something! You're a god- make a bed appear or something!"

The god started and Reyna wondered if he would actually help. There was no reason to. They were fighting for different sides in this war.

She jerked back in surprise as a few thick quilts appeared next to the wall nearby. The god bowed his head, looking ashamed. Whether it was because he had submitted to helping the enemy or because of his brother's foul acts, Reyna was glad that he did at least show some pity.

The Praetor slid a hand under Nico's back and stopped abruptly when he gasped in pain. Reyna retracted her hand to find it covered in blood. Burning anger swept through her.

She cursed Zetes to the darkest pit of Tartarus and turned to ponder how best to move the injured demigod without causing pain. If she left him on the ground he could catch hypothermia and die, but if he was badly injured, intense movements could damage his spine.

The previously silent god stepped forwards, "Let me help."

A look dripping with suspicion was the primary response he got, "Why? Why would you? After you helped your mother trapped us?"

She was ignored as Calais knelt beside Nico and surveyed him with a careful eye. Slowly, he slid an arm under his upper back. Nico groaned.

The air solidified and lifted the injured demigod until he was a metre from the ground. Reyna rushed over just as a goblet appeared in Calais' hand. Golden liquid sloshed inside- nectar.

The god lifted the cup but the son of Hades turned away, "Get away from me," he told him through gritted teeth.

Calais offered the cup to her with a pointed look and Reyna forced against the young man's lips- this was not a time for pride.

"Drink. Now."

Nico glared at her momentarily, refusing to comply. So she tilted the cup until the golden liquid began to run down his throat, giving his the choice to either drink or choke. Luckily he chose the former.

The air deposited Nico on the blankets and disappeared with a whistle. Reyna watched at her companion grimaced and struggled not cry out as the godly drink worked its magic, knitting together torn flesh and damaged bones.

Calais gestured to the cup, "Keep it. It will provide whatever drink you ask it to."

The Praetor refused to give him any indication that she had heard. A soft breeze brushed her cheek, "I truly am sorry, Reyna. But I must fight with my family, just as you fight for yours. I condemn the acts that my mother and siblings conduct, but at the end of the day, they are my blood. They are still family."

Despite herself, Reyna felt her heart go out to him. There was something so simple, and yet heartfelt about the young god's apology that she suddenly found it difficult to hate him. She looked up and met his eyes, "If you're really sorry, you could help us escape."

Calais stepped closer and cupped her face with one hand, "I cannot help you, my friend." He sounded remorseful, "But if it means anything, I have absolute faith that you-" He looked at Nico and amended his statement, "No… both of you will fight to the last breath."

"How does that help us?" she snapped.

"I don't know," his voice was soft, "But your spirit and loyalty shall do your family proud. Where there is a will, there is a way...perhaps."

Then he was gone, melting away with the wind.

Nico stirred behind her, "Sit down, Reyna. Rest."

She moved to sit beside him. The son of Hades had managed to prop himself up against the wall and was surveying her with a critical eye. "You seem taken with him," he told her accusingly.

Such a statement was so out of place that she knew there was something wrong. Nico's unnaturally glazed eyes darted around- an obvious sign of fever. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

There was nothing she could do about it now. Sleep was the only option. She slid a hand behind his back and gently eased him back onto the ground. "What are you doing?" Nico demanded, feebly trying to push her hands away.

She pushed him down when he tried to rise, "Resting. Be quiet now."

Eventually, Nico gave up and submitted to her attempts. Silence descended upon them- a comforting and welcome change of the busy bustling events of the day.

Guided by some unknown force, Reyna draped an arm over his chest. She felt the instinctive tensing of his muscles at the sudden appearance of her limb and it occurred then how awkward their currently position was. _Why the hell did I do that?_

She thought to move, but then Nico slid his left arm under her shoulders and drew them closer in an unusual display of tenderness. Reyna felt heat rise to her face. She had never been so grateful for darkness.

His actions seemed to be in a completely friendly and comforting kind of way, but something akin to nervous excitement blossomed inside her. She looked up, and was strangely disappointed to see that Nico didn't seem to have to same reaction, but was instead leaning back with closed his eyes, looking tired and weak.

Her mind told her that such a movement was just a product of fever, but her heart screamed otherwise.

Reyna berated herself for not keeping a tighter rein on her feelings. Nico might have the potential to be a good-looking man one day, but right now it was _not_ the time think about things like that.

"I was wrong to make us stay here. We should have left before the party." His voice was soft, and laced with regret.

Reyna didn't trust her voice to reply and so only shuffled closer to him, reassured by the sound of his steady heartbeat. Nico's arms tightened around her and she heard a sigh. "We'll get out. I promise."

Eventually, lulled by the warmth and unusual comfort, sleep arrived.

oOo

She dreamt of a cavern, aglow with puddles of lava and liquid fire. The ground was cracked and smouldering with heat. There was no introduction by Gaea's hated voice, but she was sure that whatever she was about to see would be far from pleasant.

The huge figure of a man blocked her view and she step around to get a better look.

Reyna almost wished she didn't. Before her, Nico hung from a frame, ropes fastening his wrist to the metal. His was bare-chested and the Praetor grimaced as she saw the cuts and bruised from various injuries he had endured.

A rough voice chuckled behind her, "Well, son of Hades… have you made a decision?"

Nico looked up at his captor, a giant by the looks of it, "I have."

Another large shape appeared from the other side of the cavern. Another giant- one that looked much more dangerous and angry. "Will you tell us then?"

"No. The only thing I'd tell you is to go to hell!"

The giant made a rumbling sound that Reyna bared recognised as laughter. She saw that he was holding a metal stick in his hand. "Do not play games with me, godling. Tell us what we've demanded and we will let you go."

Nico remained silent.

"Then you leave me with no choice; I will have to use pain to extract information from you."

The son of Hades grin at him, "Do it then. The only thing that pains me is the sight of your face."

The giant roared in anger and plunged the metal rod at Nico's chest. Reyna felt herself fill with anger. The events of the dream started to unfold in slow motion, as if the Fates wanted to make sure she didn't miss anything. She took the chance to step closer, and then stopped in horror.

The metal was a branding rod. A metre of ugly rusted iron with a fiery red tip. Heat radiating from it.

She recognised the symbol at the end as a key. Bile rose in her throat and she had the sudden urge to be sick. These monsters were the cause of the scar that she'd seen. The dream sped up again, just as the metal pressed into Nico's skin. A second after, an anguished scream tore from Nico's throat.

Nico continued to scream. The Praetor blocked her eyes to the heart wrenching sound with no ail. It rang through the cavern and cut into her mind.

The ground rumbled and shook as a wave of power swept through the cavern like a tsunami wave. The first giant hesitated, looking uncertain. But then his partner poured a bucket of water on the young man. There was a horrifying sizzling sound. The miniature earthquake stopped abruptly.

The son of Hades started to shake, opening and closing his mouth as though he couldn't get enough air in. Finally he drew a rasping breath; a trail of blood ran down his chin. His gaze still burned just as intently.

When he spoke, his voice cracked with pain, throat raw from shouting, "Do whatever you want, but I will never tell you."

The giant who had branded him looked amused. "I think a few more touches of this little toy may loosen your tongue."

Reyna looked away. It pained her to see Nico reduced to this.

Behind her, Nico screamed again, a desperate plea for salvation. The cavern rumbled, but the tremors eventually faded away as the demigod's power weakened.

oOo

Reyna woke.

Beside her, Nico moaned in pain. She lifted her head from its perch on Nico's limp arm to find the cause of his distress.

The son of Hades muttered incoherently in his sleep, the fingers of his free hand twisted in the fabric of his shirt, over the place where Reyna knew was the scar of a key. As she watched, the demigod tried to turn around, but was obstructed by his own arm. The result was a tangle of sheets and more frenzied murmurs.

Reyna sighed, sadness overwhelming her. She lay back down again. After a moment of thought, she closed her hand over his, soothing the young man with gentle words, until his clenched fingers loosened and he relaxed back into the grip of sleep.

The Praetor drew the blanket up to their necks and snuggled back into his loose embrace. But, this time, she stayed awake for a long time.

She cursed Gaea again. How could she be so cruel as to torture Nico by branding him with the symbol of his father?

oOo

When she next woke, Reyna instantly pushed off the ground with her elbow before she could sink back into a comfortable sleep. Time was precious. She wondered why the previously hard concrete was so bouncy.

Below, Nico groaned and clutch his stomach.

"Gods… Reyna… What was that for?"

She hoisted him up to a sitting position, "Sorry, I thought you were the ground." She surveyed her companion with a careful eye. His movements were somewhat rough, but without pain. That was good enough, the Praetor decided.

"Thanks." Eventually, the son of Hades stood and flexed his arms experimentally. His chains rattled alarmingly loud in the previously silent room. He smiled at her, the normal cool mask back on his face, "Is it jail break time?"

Reyna resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Yes. You got a plan?"

The boy looked confused, "A plan?" He echoed uncertainly, "I thought we were just going to bash down the door and take out any guards?"

"No... We should get them inside the cell and then take them down," Reyna moved to check to door. There was a faint mumble of voices, and with her keen ears, she could make out the two different pitches. "Okay, now lie on the ground there and pretend to be dead."

"What? Why-"

"Do it!"

The other demigod dropped reluctantly to the ground and lay there in a dishevelled heap. That's when she screamed- a single piecing note that make the conversation outside stop abruptly in middle sentence.

"Help!" she cried, "He's dead!"

Shuffling steps came down the passageway, "What are you shouting around, girly?" A gruff voice demands.

Reyna did her best to sound panicked, "He- he's dead! Please help me! He just fell and he's not breathing. Please help!"

A frantic whispering argument broke out on the other side of the door. Finally it opened and the two huge guards came in. They seemed to be some kind of goblin. One of them pointed his spear at her, while the other hurried to Nico.

"What happened to-" But the beast never got the chance to finish his sentence. The son of Hades leapt up with incredible speed and swung his chains around the guard's neck and twisted. There was a sickening crunch of bone and the monster vanished into yellow dust. The other guard gaped dumbly for a second before spinning around to face the son of Hades with a look of surprise.

He levelled his weapon at Nico and the demigod backed away. Reyna rose from the ground, and mimicked Nico's trick with the chains. The result is another pile of yellow dust. There's a clank as a ring of keys dropped to the ground, now lacking a belt to support them.

Nico used them to unlock his chains and tosses them at her.

By the time she undid the lock, Nico had already disappeared into the corridor, following the dim light to where the guards had been situated. A table with cards dominate the room, but they go past without a second glance.

Reyna finds their armour and weapons in a disorderly heap nearby and she moves to swing the heavy breastplate over her head. Nearby, she heard a flutter of paper and Nico swiped the cards off the table and used the piece of furniture to brace the door.

He joins her in putting on armour and before long they have most of the pieces on and secured.

Someone pounded on the door. Nico looked around, "Take what you need and let's get out of here!"

"I'm good," she takes a deep breath, "Let's go."

The son of Hades pulled a torch from its stand on the wall, grimacing as drops of hot oil dripped onto his arm. He tosses the thing to the ground roughly and the fire flickers and spits uneven shadows into the room.

They link hands and disappear into the darkness.

**oOo**

**REVIEW PLEASE! All feedback is welcome!**


	20. Chapter 19

**AN: Hello guys! I have rechecked my update plan and I am proud to announce that I will be able to finish on time! There is only one more chapter and a prologue until the end of their adventure, and hence our time together. Nevertheless (before everyone bursts into tears), I will continue writing and hopefully bring joy to you all in other stories! **

**Now, on a more positive note, replies to reviews…**

2509su: Thanks once again, for the support and new reviews! My updates have been getting faster, it is currently the holidays for me, and as such, I can afford to spend more time writing. Here is another long chapter to satisfy you! Writing lessons? Wow- thanks for the high praise! Reyna is also one of my favourite characters, not just in this story, but in the actually series itself. I can only hope that I do her character justice! Note, I had to put the dream part in the next chapter because the events with the god took a lot longer than expected- but never fear! You have my word that it will be beautiful! See you soon!

Guest (Sep 28): Aww… I'm very happy to know that my story has acted as a piece of inspiration for someone out there. I'm glad the romance and violence appeased you! I will keep writing and extend the story! Thanks!

Rainbowchameleon: A new reviewer! Welcome to the party! Thanks for the praise! As for the ships in this story, well… I guess it's open to interpretation- just as everything is, really. But, in truth, I had never intended for this story to focus too much on romance, I guess the idea was sparked by several PMs and reviews by readers!

PJOLover: Hello! Thanks very much! I'm sure Reyna enjoyed that part too *sneaky look*, and I thank you on behalf of Nico for sympathising with him! There may be other fluff moments, so read on!

**Without further ado…. *dramatic flourish***

**oOo**

**Chapter 19**

Something gripped onto her arm.

The same linger presence that had made them crash the last time they shadow travelled. But as much as she tried, the thing clung to her arm tightly. The shadow realm seemed to slow reaction speed and she could do nothing but wave her arm sluggishly.

She gripped tightly on Nico's hand, choosing to ignore his previous warnings about not breaking his hand. The son of Hades gave no indication that he felt anything. The weight on her free arm seemed heavier than before and Reyna prayed to every god she could think of for this journey to be finished as quickly as possible.

It seemed her wish was granted.

They crashed into snowy ground once again and through blurry vision she estimated that they were not far from last time's travel. It must have been earlier than she'd guessed, from the orange haze that was the sun. Or perhaps it was evening? Which way was east?

Nearby, she heard a laugh and then a growl from Nico.

The two wind gods stood no more than a few minutes away, engaged in a vicious staring contest with the son of Hades. Zetes withdrew a sword from thin air and banished the glittering blade at his opponent.

"You are too much of a trouble making to keep alive, boy." He grinned, "I will kill you now and we can capture another demigod to sacrifice."

Calais didn't say anything, but chose to stare at the ground. Nico, on the other hand, looked mad. "Damn you, Zetes. Damn you to the darkest corner of Tartarus."

A cold laugh, "I believe you. You know firsthand. How was it there?"

"I will fight you. I will _kill _you."

Nico struck suddenly, a powerful swing to the left. But the god was more than ready, he send the former reeling with a mighty flap of one wing. The demigod backed up, taking the chance to give her a look of warning. He wanted to handle this alone, she could see that, but pride comes before a fall.

Meanwhile, the Zetes tried for the method again, this time with lifting both of his wings. It was Nico's turn to surprise. A wall of shadows smashed into the ground before the downstroke, effective showering all of them with a wave of snow. Reyna moved to duck, but Calais took most of the blast with his own wings, forming a dense feathery shield for both of them.

The Praetor didn't know whether to be grateful or not.

Zetes bared his teeth and leapt forwards. Nico's midnight black blade met his with a dangerous scratching noise. The god's sword looked as if it were made of ice, but it held against the sharp stygian iron. For a few minutes they parried and lunged to get through each other's defences.

Her expert eye told her that Nico was tiring, and soon she saw him stumble slightly.

Zetes saw it too. His eyes shown with glee as he swiped his sword across the demigod's arm. The latter didn't even flinch, instead his gaze hardened and he swung his weapon backwards with vicious accuracy.

It was a perfect hit. Half of the black, iron blade sank into one of the god's wings and Nico gave the weapon a twist for the sake of it.

The god screamed as a wave of feathers fell out, golden inchor began to drench the remaining ones of his left wing. Calais hurried forwards, "Brother!"

He was largely ignored. Zetes' face was a mask of pain and anger, "I curse you, son of Hades. I hope you die a death so much more horrible than your sister- when I am done with her."

A dark wave of hatred and anguish streamed from Nico and hit her head on. Reyna wanted to lie down where she stood and cry, but she held her ground, gritting her teeth and trying to take no notice of her raging emotions.

She could see that Zetes felt it too. The god of heartstoppingly cold winds seemed to freeze where he stood- ironic really- and looked to his brother for help. His voice wavered, "Calais! I will go and report the events to mother. You stay here and kill them both."

"I don't think that's a good idea-" said god was cut off as his brother disappeared in a flash of blue light a swirl of snow.

In the corner of her eye, Reyna saw Nico gulping down the content of a flask that usually hung from his belt. He examined the cut on his right arm, but then dismissed it as the ingested nectar started the work.

Then the two demigods faced the remaining god.

Calais drew two swords seemingly out of the air. He looked sadly determined, "Give up, my friends. I am twice the swordsman my brother is."

Nico backed up a bit, looking nervously at the dual swords. His left hand clenched, as if he was instinctively wishing for a shield to use.

Reyna stepped beside him. "We're not afraid of you. Fight me, Calais. The praetor drew a shorter spatha from the sheath that hung from her belt."

"You can dual wield? And you never told me?"

She glanced over at the open mouthed Nico, "All children of Bellona are ambidextrous."

The son of Hades moved away, muttering under his breath. Reyna surveyed Calais with an experienced eye. The god didn't show off his skills of dual wielding by swing his weapons, but his stance was determined and ready. The Praetor could see that he hadn't been bluffing. Calais was in fact, a far superior swordsman to his brother, not to mention a god with a few thousand years more experience than her.

Their gaze met, both determined and craving for blood. Reyna had to remind herself continuously that this was no longer the quiet, kindly god that had helped Nico and her so many times in their stay. This was someone out to kill.

She saw his muscles tense as he was about to strike. His eyes flickered to her head- a miniature movement that only a expert warrior would have noticed.

Suddenly, the sound of a flute filled the air. Calais paused, and listened.

A few feet away from them, a light was moving through the darkness of the trees' shadows. Calais swung around, "What trickery is this?"

Nico's hand on her shoulder made her jump. The young man stood behind her with an unreadable expression. He chanted something under his breath.

Both the god and her inhaled sharply as the pale figure exited the cover of the trees. It was a boy- a demigod by the looks of it. Even from a few metres away, Reyna could sense the god's horror.

_Calais. My friend._ The ghost's voice echoed around the clearing. _What have you done to me? _

The ghostly figure held a flute in his hand._ I trusted you, but then you murdered me while I slept. I had a family- siblings and a mother waiting for me to come back home. I could have lived for many more years if it wasn't for you. _

The god paled, "It was for the greater good, Marcus. It really was."

_Then you wouldn't mind if I called a few more of my friends to join us, would you?_

As the figure spoke, more ghosts appeared from the tree line. Dresses in the clothes they died in, Reyna could see that they were from many different centuries. They ranged from teenagers to middle aged. So vastly different that the own trait they shared was the fact that they were all dead.

The ghosts began to talk, each of them hoping to have his or her voice heard. What they made was a whirlwind of voices and glowing bodies that pressed closer and closer to their target in an ever-tightening ring.

Calais yelled as the first of them reached out their hands to him. He swung his swords, but the blades whistled through the ghosts, doing nothing to deter them. The wind around them picked up speed, but whether that was from Calais or Nico, Reyna had no idea. She just focused on not getting blown away.

"Silence!" Nico's voice cut like a whip through the mucky consciousness of the spirits. "Back away!"

The ghosts did at they were told, dropping to their knees as the son of Hades walked forwards. _Lord... Ghost King... son of the Master… _

For his part, Nico looked as though waddling through cowering ghosts was an everyday occurrence. He raised his voice over the roaring wind, "Look at them! The spirits of those that you helped murder! What for? Revenge for your siblings?"

The god had no good answer for him, but he didn't back down. "The other gods deserved this because of what they did! They destroyed my family."

His wings spread to their full width and for a moment, his eyes seemed to glow with anger. "Do not question me, demigod," he hissed, "I have done nothing to deserve the hatred and actions of other gods."

"Maybe that's the price of immortality- of being who you are." Nico stepped forwards, oblivious to the sword pointing straight at him, "Everything has a price. Being a demigod grants us amazing power and the chance of having our names written down in history, but the cost is an too often an untimely and horrible death."

"Being a god has prices too. Ask my father- an undesirable realm for the chance to be separated from his wife for 6 month every year, and the opportunity to have children who are either maniacs or social rejects."

"I'm sorry about what we did to your brothers and sisters. I understand."

"You understand nothing!" the god snarled. His face twisted in rage.

Nico didn't back down, instead he raised his voice. "The past is nothing compared to the future, I understand what it means now. Helping Gaea rise won't avenge your family. It would send them to war. Look to the future, my lord. Let us go and I will persuade my father to put forwards a word on the council when this is over- to tell the other gods about what they've done to you."

"Why would the Olympians listen to your father?" The god asked bitterly, "He has never been accepted- like us!"

The shadows thicken and hissed in anger; Nico looked as if he was struggling to hold back. "Why would Gaea listen to you?"

That was the last straw. The winds surrounding them died down and the shadows spirits of the dead demigods disappeared with a gentle sigh.

Reyna took Nico's arm as he stumbled slightly. "Calais," she called softly, and when the god looked up, she smiled at him, "Let us go now, and I promise that the Olympians will be made aware of your plight."

Nico nodded, "I swear on the River Styx."

Thunder boomed in the distance.

The god dropped his wings so that they trailed along the ground. When their eyes met, Reyna could see a haze of anger, dimmed by shame and guilt.

"Go on then," he whispered.

The Praetor felt Nico sag with relief. The son of Hades gave the god a salute, "Thank you. We won't forget you, my friend." He turned to her quickly, "Hold on."

A wave of darkness overwhelmed them, but in that last precious few seconds of light, Reyna thought she saw a smile on the god's face.

But it could have been a trick of the light.

oOo

They stumbled out of the shadow of the Athena Parthenos.

Nico sank to the ground and Reyna managed to untangle her arm before his weight dragged her down too. A shadow to their left warned her of danger before it had even come.

"Die!"

She deflected the club with a swing of her sword. Hedge stared at them for a moment before coming to his senses.

"Cupcakes?" He just about crushed a few bones in the process of giving her a hug, "You're alive!"

The jubilant satyr moved onto hugging Nico, but the Praetor pulled him off the woozy looking demigod. Hedge resorted to a slap on the back instead, "Well done, lad! You got out!"

Nico groaned, "If you hit me like that again, I might die."

Reyna couldn't help but smile- they had come a long way, but some things were never going to change.

"Guess what I'm going to do to celebrate?" The demigod protector asked. When he got no reply, he resorted to answering his own question, "I'm going to make us all dinner!"

Nico collapsed back on the ground, "I'm dead."

oOo

After dinner, they sat under the starry sky and chatted. Hedge had fallen asleep on Nico's shoulder, a fact that seemed to annoy the demigod greatly.

With nothing left to do, Reyna decided to initiate conversation.

"I've always been taught the Romans were the superior group, and that Greeks were egotistic and manipulative."

"What do you think now that you've met me?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but was stopped the spark of amusement that gleam in Nico's eyes. It was strange, watching such a serious and morbid person change moods so quickly.

"Did _you _just make a joke?"

The son of Hades glared at her, his shield in place again. He grounded his teeth, "What if I did?"

Reyna hesitated. She hadn't meant to offend; only to express genuine surprise. But, was that, in itself an insult?

"I'm sorry," she turned and only started to speak again when she had his full attention. "Before this quest I admit that I never saw you as a normal demigod, being a son of Hades and all. I was genuinely surprised that there was a different side to you."

Nico's eyes blazed with anger- an expression that made him look so similar to his father that Reyna made a mental note to tell him later. Nevertheless, she didn't back down. Friendships were not built on sweet words and lies, just as Rome wasn't built on a swamp.

They had to get the hard, concrete facts out before any kind of friendship could be established.

"Don't look at me like that. Death scares people- that's the truth. I've always respected you, but it's only now that I've learnt to no fear you."

The other demigod snorted disbelievingly, but his anger seemed to have momentarily abated. She looked at him, taking in the firelight flickering across his face and felt a surge of pride at having the chance to know such a great person.

"The world owes you more than it can ever repay," she told him, as the same words which were once told to her echoes in the depths of her mind.

Nico looked startled for a moment and then shook his head, "The world and I are one entity. It owes me nothing because everything I've ever done has been for the betterment of myself- though sometimes indirectly."

The Praetor pondered the work that she'd seen her fellow demigods do- all without want of reward. It was a duty, she realised- a life that had been set out for each and every one of them since the beginning.

"You're right, Nico."

They were silent once again, each lost in their own world. Until Nico spoke the question that was no both of their minds, "How long do we have to get to camp?"

Reyna didn't answer at once, for she had no idea. Finally, she had to admit that. "I have no idea."

Nico nodded absentmindedly, "I don't know either. But, if my estimations are correct, we should be southern Canada. If we make the last jump to camp tomorrow, we should be in time."

The Praetor murmured her agreement. Their journey was coming to an end, but strangely, the knowledge that they were on the last leg of their journey made for a strange mixture of joy and disappointment in her heart.

In front of her, the son of Hades shoved Coach Hedge off before stretching out his arms. "Time for bed, guys. I'll take the first watch."

**oOo**

**Only 1 chapter and a prologue to go! Leave me a favourite or a review to tell me what you think! Thanks, guys! **


	21. Chapter 20

**AN: This chapter isn't that long. Or as action packed as the chapters before it. But I promise the epilogue will be awesome! **

**Bear with me….**

**Thanks once again to the reviewers of the last chapter:**

2509su: I do agree- angry Nico is too awesome to read without a comfortable seat and some chocolate. The book will be out soon, but I hope that my story was a good imaginative piece with a fair bit in excitement! This chapter is for you, my friend! I am looking forwards to writing the epilogue- it will be action packed… I swear to you all!

Rainbowchameleon: Thanks! I do mean epilogue! (Good pick up)

Pastamarinara: Pasta! You're back! Thanks for the compliment- I hope you will enjoy this slightly flat chapter and then the super exciting epilogue!

Guest (Oct 1): Thanks very much! I'm glad you thought so! I will indeed keep writing! I feel that you are the same guest who commented last week, so thanks once again if you are!

Soladtino: Wow! Long review! Calais is an interesting character indeed! I'm sure Zetes is boiling in Tartarus now! I promise the prologue will be super exciting- and there will be no appearance of people's kids of something…

**Now, ladies and gentlemen…. Chapter 20.**

**oOo**

Reyna thanked Morpheus that the last dream she would have on this journey didn't involve torture or anyone dying.

Quite the opposite in fact, from the looks of things.

Her eyes adjusted gradually and she could make out the lush green trees surrounding her. Cheery sunlight filtered through tender green leaves and lit the foliage a warm yellow. A cool wind brushed her skin. A spring wind carried with it the scent of peaches and mangoes.

Reyna held her bare arms out and examined them. She looked down and was surprised to see herself in casual clothes. A short sword strapped on her belt felt incredibly correct.

What was she doing here? Waiting for someone?

The answer didn't take long in coming.

"Hello."

Nico stood behind her, a slight smile on his face, hands in his pockets. Reyna took in the sight of the son of Hades looking so normal. Without armour, and only a black T-shirt and jeans, he looked like any other teenager. Only he wasn't.

No. He was so much more. Her heart fluttered strangely, and the Praetor reassured herself that it was just a dream.

She moved to speak, but then found that she couldn't. Her throat refused to make any sound and her goggled at him for a moment, only stopping from the young man regarded her with a lifted eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" he asked, voice light and carefree, "Not happy to see me?"

Reyna offered Nico her hand. The gesture made her head spin with confusion- why would she do that? The dream Reyna stepped closer and she drank in the minty smell that was Nico.

Surprisingly, the son of Hades took her hand in his without any hesitation. His hand was warm and calloused from sword work. There was nothing strange about that. But, just as she thought the dream was going to be normal, her body moved forwards.

_Stop._ Her mind screamed. _Stop. Please stop._

She pressed her lips against his.

Even though it wasn't real, it seemed like it. She could feel the rough material of his shirt as her fingers twisted in it. The tickle of a strand of hair on her forehead. His soft, tender lips.

Her spirits lifted more than she thought was possible as he responded. The kiss was long and lingering. It wasn't something gentle and romantic that made hormonal girls everywhere scream and gossip about, but not anything violent and crazed either.

Reyna thought of it as a calm and collected affair that had been long time coming. Both recipients were playing their parts well.

That it, until they went off script. Nico hooked his arms around her waist and pressed their bodies together. His movements became intensified and Reyna pressed back to gain some ground.

Her brain felt slow and sluggish. Sounds of the forest around them died away, no longer important. In the next few minutes, there was only Nico. Only him.

Eventually they pulled away, both panting for breath. Then the son of Hades leaned in again and she thought he was going to kiss her again. But he only brushed a strand of hair behind her ears.

"You're beautiful," he said, a genuine smile gracing his lips. "You truly are, Reyna."

_You're beautiful._ The words floated around in her mind for a long time before she could even comprehend what he had said. Tears began to well up in her eyes and she struggled to keep them in. Were they tears of joy or sadness? Reyna had no answer.

For a few minutes they stood there, in that warm spring forest, and savoured the simple joy of being alive.

Of being together.

oOo

The next morning she couldn't help but sneak a glance at Nico to see if similar dreams had visited him yesterday. It seemed not.

The son of Hades behaved normally with a tingle of excitement and happiness to him. It seemed that at least one person was happy to sleep in a nice soft bed again.

Strike that and make it two.

As she watched from the shade of the tent, Hedge passed by, whistling a bouncy tune. He gave a wave when he saw her and Reyna returned it, infected by the happiness of her companions.

The Praetor sighed- while she had enjoyed this mini quest delivering the Athena Parthenos and didn't want it to end, the main reason was that any sense of freedom would be lost the moment they arrived.

Out here, in the wild, she was just like any other demigod, albeit more skilled with a sword- but a normal person. She had even made what could be considered friends on this trip. There was no doubt that Hedge and Nico would leave the moment they got the camp.

She found that she couldn't pin blame on them. The camp was their family after all and it was ridiculous to think that spending ten days with someone would let one take the place of friends that they'd known for years.

There was also the problem of Octavian. She felt herself burn in anger at the thought of that coward wearing the royal purple and gold cape of a Praetor, and then leading the Legion to war. He had to be stopped, but the moment she stepped in, any trace of freedom and ease would be gone. She would once again be Reyna the Praetor- someone to be respected, but not loved.

After their escape from the temple of Hades, she had been made aware that Frank was now her co-praetor. She could deal with that. But it was going to be hard getting that pesky descendent of Apollo to back down.

She watched as Nico unbandage his arm, and then strolled over.

"Morning."

The son of Hades looked up, "Hey." He flexed his arm with a frown and then retracted it. "Guess what?"

"What?"

The young man ran a finger over the pale scar that was the only reminder of their quest, "I got another scar to add to my collection. Yay."

She slapped him upside the head playfully, ruining his moment of nostalgia. "Where's Hedge?"

"I'm here, cupcakes!"

A heavy hand smacked her on the back. Hedge still looked especially cheerful. He had a grin that was so wide Reyna wondered how it could fit on his face. "Do you two want breakfast?"

Nico and she shared a look of suspicion. "What's there to eat?"

"Fish!"

The son of Hades stood. "I'm good. The sooner we get to camp, the faster we can get real food."

Hedge looked furious, "What are ya trying to say?"

She rose too, "I second Nico. Let's go pack up. Be on your guard and we'll meet back here in 20 minutes."

oOo

At the planned time, they stood in a circle again and Reyna felt a sense of familiarity.

Nico lifted an eyebrow, "Everyone good?"

Hedge straightened his shirt again and ran a hand through his one patch of hair. He nodded and took the hand that Nico offered. Reyna did the same, wondering whether the demigod protector was trying to impress someone.

The son of Hades closed his eyes and murmured under his breath. The shadows swirled around them excitedly, whispering like a gaggle of children that had just met their favourite singer.

Reyna tightened her hold and in her mind's eye, she saw Nico's wince.

A wave of coldness washed over her as they descended into the shadow world.

oOo

Reyna had no idea where they were. The huge statue tipped over and crashed into the trunk of a tall tree. The poor vegetation almost bent under the weight of gold and ivory.

Nico had already gotten up and was trying to get his bearings. They were on the tip of a hill. Some distance below, she could see a valley. It looked deserted.

Hedge stood beside her and took a deep breath. "Can you see them, Reyna?"

She started. There was nothing to see, was there?

The Praetor squinted at the curve of the valley and a sudden glint of metal caught her eye. Could it be? The sounds of shouting and metal striking together carried on the wind.

The valley changed. With used to be boulders morphed into various houses and the bare dirt became green with fresh grass. With she had thought were twigs moved like people.

The Coach sighed in pleasure, "You see it. That's Camp-Half Blood."

Now that she'd been told, Reyna wondered how she could have not seen it. The valley was no longer a concave, but a flat piece of land, linked to the glistening expanse of sea. People bustled around, some wielding swords and bows.

It wasn't as she'd expected. The Greek camp lacked the order and grand form of Camp Jupiter, but there was a strong sense of wellbeing and togetherness that she could feel. There were no formal legion quarters from the looks of things.

A huge rectangular ring of cabins and a second wing behind them dominated the scene. Some taller buildings lay to the side.

Even from here, she could feel the air buzzing with power. A different kind, but strangely similar.

Just as she was being accustomed to the peaceful view, the trees above them rustled.

A group of silver clad girls dropped from out of nowhere. Their bows were pointed point blank at them. Reyna drew her sword. Hedge leapt in front of her.

"Just what do you think-"

A girl, who was probably the leader stepped forwards and drove her fist into the satyr's temple, effectively knocking him out.

It would be ironic to die right in front of the camp they had come so far to save.

The tough looking girl growled a threat at her, "Who-"

She stopped mid-sentence. Her mouth opened in in surprise and her gaze landed on something behind Reyna. Her bow dropped a fraction. "Nico?"

The son of Hades stepped forwards, mouth stretched into a wide smile. "Here to welcome me home?"

The girl signal for the others to lower their bows.

"We had no news from you, or Percy or anyone else for a long time. Now you come back with some random girl and a huge statue? What is the meaning of this?"

Nico waved a hand nonchalantly and turned side on, so that the two girls were on different sides of him. "Reyna, this is my cousin. Lieutenant of Artemis and the daughter of Zeus... Thalia Grace."

"Grace? Jason's sister?"

Thalia's eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"

Reyna rose to her full height. "I am the Praetor of New Rome, leader of Camp Jupiter."

The bows went up again, several pointed directly at her. Thalia looked savage, "The Roman army that's due to arrive in less than 2 days?"

Nico stepped between them. "Thalia." His voice was quiet, but there was a threatening quality to it. A warning.

"We've crossed the ocean from the Ancient lands to make peace. The statue behind us is the Athena Parthenos."

A few gasps were heard. Thalia looked uncertain, but a reassuring glance from Nico seemed to do the trick. She lowered her bow again and the other girls followed suit.

Thalia stepped up the son of Hades and they clasped their hands together. Thalia's face broke into a grateful smile and suddenly she looked like a normal girl. Her posture no longer spoke of danger, but of weariness. Reyna saw her fingers tighten their hold, as if savouring the solidness of her friend.

Her voice shook slightly with barely concealed emotion, "Welcome home, cousin."

**oOo**

**Only an Epilogue to go!**


	22. Epilogue

**AN: Here is the epilogue of this story. I'm feeling so emotional right now. Anyways, I will be posting an official note of thanks a few days after this, so just chill and enjoy for now. **

**A review and favourite would be most appreciated! Proper thanks will be given in the author's note in a few days' time, because I didn't want most of this update to taken up by it!**

**Now, without further ado, the Epilogue of Reyna, Nico and Hedge's journey together!**

**Enjoy!**

**oOo**

**Epilogue**

It had taken a long time for the weapons to be put away, and even longer for the Greek demigods to realise that she was genuinely here to make peace.

Now that they had, there was a kind of mutual understanding. If they didn't stand together, the world they all cherished would fall. The Greeks still whispered behind her back and shot her a glance once in a while, as if to checking to make sure she wasn't killing anyone.

But that was to be expected.

Everywhere she looked, there were Greek faces, Greek behaviours and elements of the Greek culture that she had been taught to hate.

But, beneath all that, there was a simple and yet remarkable bond of family and comradeship that Roman commanders had dreamt of building between their soldiers for thousands of years. It shocked her that it existed in the carefree atmosphere of this lax camp, but not in the drilled and disciplined minds of her people.

Reyna had addressed the crowd that began to cautiously gather as the Athena Parthenos was being transported into camp. She told her story to the Greeks, with Nico and Hedge confirming the more spurious sounding parts. They added in some parts of the quest that she had forgotten and gave death glares to the demigods that shouted abuse at her.

Some of the crowd looked convinced by the end, but others not so much.

Two hooligans, twins by the looks of it, had even suggested that the statue was some kind of bomb. After being swarmed by daughter and sons of Athena, who brought out a range of strange devices that the Praetor had no name for, the peace offering was declared safe and organised to be moved to a place of honour at the centre of the camp.

A boy, the leader of the Athena children, came to thank her.

As their eyes met, the Praetor could see a stream of calculation, a jolt of cruelty, but most importantly a pool of knowledge and hesitant understanding that kept the others at bay.

"Praetor," he gave an informal bow to her, "My name is Malcolm. I am the counsellor of the Athena cabin."

She took the hand he offered, fully aware that their actions were being watched by most of the camp, "Nice to meet you, Malcolm. Please, call me Reyna."

The boy, a bookish looking lad, reminded her painfully of the wind god Calais. He smiled uncertainly at her friendly tone, "On behalf of the descendants of Athena and the Greek people, I thank you for returning the Athena Parthenos to us."

"You are most welcome. I hope that the offering will help our parents embrace their Roman and Greek sides." She raised her voice and scanned the group, meeting the eyes of those that looked defiant, "But most importantly… I hope that it can serve as proof that our two cultures can work together."

The son of Athena looked momentarily surprised, but then recovered. He turned to address the crowd and raised his voice, "Dozens of my brothers and sisters have sought after the sacred statue of our mother, which was stolen by the ancient Romans. Ironically, it is a Roman that returns it in the end."

Malcolm paused and took a deep breath, "Perhaps we were wrong to judge them as monsters, when the last real encounter between our cultures was thousands of years ago."

He lifted their clasped hand into the air for all to see, "Let our generation be the one that eliminates the unreasonable feud of our ancestors."

The crowd was silent for a moment.

Then someone clapped. It was a hesitant sound- an uncertain gesture of approval. The claps echoed in the clearing and slowly faded. But another person joined in with more purpose.

It was a few more seconds before the cheering started.

Reyna felt a trill of hope as she watched the Greek crowd turn into a mass of jubilation. The idea that she may have been the only Roman ever cheered on by Greeks in history thrilled her.

She unsheathed her sword and lifted it in the air, letting the naked blade gleam in the morning sun. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nico follow suit. Malcolm dragged his own sword from its scabbard and crossed it with hers.

They stood there for a moment, savouring the moment. The crowd watched for a few seconds, taking in the Greek hoplite sword lying firmly over the shorter Roman spatus.

Then, as if they were gripping in some kind of frenzy, the other demigods did the same, unsheathing and clashing their swords together over their heads. The sound of metal on metal rang loud and true, announcing the beginning or a new age.

The battle scars on the skin would never fade, she mused, but perhaps the damaged muscles would work just fine to drive a deathly punch to the giants.

oOo

Nico was giving her a tour around camp when they passed a group of tough looking guys training under the sun. One of them jogged over.

Reyna took him in- a head of blonde hair and a grin that made her uneasy. The agile stance and heavy muscles told her that this guy was a fighter.

He bowed to her as well, "Praetor. My name's Chris. Son of Hermes." He stood and gave her a grin.

She nodded absentmindedly. It was obvious that the demigod had come to talk to Nico.

It seemed that she was right, for he slapped the son of Hades on the back so hard that he reeled forwards. "Nico! We've had no word from you for months. Where have you been?"

"To hell and back, Chris."

The son of Hermes laughed cheerfully, until he realised that no one else was. He gaped at the other demigod, "Hell and back? You mean it?"

Nico raised an eyebrow, "When have I ever joked?"

Chris slapped the son of Hades on the back again. He glanced at her, "Looks like you need a drink, my friend. How about we go a get some tonight. You can tell us all about your hot girlfriend."

Reyna just about punched him, but watching Nico gasp with a fish out of water was too funny. She smiled gracefully, "He wishes."

By now, the other male demigods had gathered around and joining in on the laughter.

"What are you all doing?" A rough voice demanded behind them, "Who gave you a break?"

All the boys spin around guiltily at the voice. Chris turns red, "Clarisse! We were just talking to Nico. He-"

The newcomer, a huge girl with beefy arms and an aura that spoke of power, came to a stop besides them. She and Nico shook hands, "Welcome back, buddy."

Nico nodded silently. The girl turned to the onlooking guys and bared her teeth, "Get back to work!" They shuffled away so fast, that one tripped over.

Clarisse observed her with an upturned lip. "Don't think your fancy title scares me, girly. I slew the drakon, with the bless of my father- Ares. What have you done to win our respect?"

"I knocked over the black throne of Kronos."

That wasn't completely true. But it sure sounded a lot better than 'I helped someone else knock over the throne of Kronos'.

The huge girl huffed, but there was a spark of admiration in her eyes. There was a clatter as a clumsy soldier dropped a pile of spears. Clarisse swung around with a murderous look in her eyes, "Pick them up and get moving before I shove my foot up your backside!"

A soldier stumbled out an apology and rushed to do as he was told. Clarisse pursed her lips and nodded at Nico before walking away.

It wasn't the most welcoming gesture ever, but the Praetor was smart enough to see that the daughter of war was more than a bloodthirsty berserker. She had also inherited the tactical side of battle.

Bellona and Mars were siblings, so in a cross cultural sort of way, Clarisse was her cousin- the closest Greek relative she had. She was sure they would get along just fine.

oOo

True to his word, Nico dropped her off at the room she'd been given at the Big House after dinner and then hurried away; eager for that drink he'd been promised.

She sighed as he left, a pang of loneliness chewing at her heart. It had been decided that they would go make peace with the Romans tomorrow, and she worried about how they would be received.

Of course Nico would leave her to catch up with old friends eventually, so why the sudden surge of sadness. Reyna berated herself for being stupid. A strand of hair dropped over her forehead and brought to her attention that a bath was urgently needed.

_Yes,_ her mind agreed, _no one will appreciate you stinking up the place_.

oOo

She had just finished dressing in the most normal looking piece of clothing she could find when there was a knock at the door. The Praetor nearly knocked over several bottled of perfume in her surprise. Who could it be?

"Clarisse!" A rough voice barked from the other side of the door.

Reyna assumed that such a call meant that Clarisse was on the other side of the door, and not someone who thought she was the daughter of Ares.

"Come in."

The door was thrown back on its hinges as the huge girl thundered in. Clarisse nodded at her in greeting, "Praetor, Nico told me to tell you that he's staying in his cabin for tonight."

She wondered why the son of Hades didn't come to tell her himself.

The girl in front of seemed to see her hesitance, "Chris and my brothers got him drunk." She sighed in frustration, "Boys…"

She frowned at the pile of clothes and collection of perfumes, soaps, accessories that lay all around the room. "Those Aphrodite girls sure love you. Well, if everything's good, then I'm off. Night."

"Clarisse?" Reyna called.

"Eh?"

"Did you know that my mother, Bellona, is the sister of Mars?"

"So?"

"In a cross cultural sort of way, that makes us cousins."

The other girl lifted an eyebrow- a delicate gesture that Reyna didn't think she was capable of. "That's great. Another cousin to add to my collection. Damn Zeus."

Thunder boomed as Clarisse left.

Reyna swore that she saw a smile on the other girl's face.

oOo

She went for a run early that morning, after deciding that now was the time to get some of her old fitness back. The fresh morning breeze was her sole companion. It was strange how at peace she was here.

Reyna had just stopped in a clearing to catch her breath when someone said good morning to her.

She turned, briefly surprised to see Nico there, clad in full armour and with hands stuck in pockets. He was leaning against a tree as though he had been waiting for her. Surely it was a bit too early to go and make peace?

"I talked to father yesterday. He tells me that after I take you all to make peace with the Romans, I should go to the Underworld to collect an army. As a reward, he said." The young man laughed bitterly, "What kind of father sends his son to die in battle as a reward?"

Reyna dodged the question awkwardly. "The gods are normal again then?"

"Yes. They are back and preparing for war. If the Giants do not keep to the 'no intervention' rule, then Zeus reasons that it is only logical for the gods have some fun as well."

She nodded. Desperate times require desperate measures. "Who's coming to make peace?"

"Clarisse, Malcolm, Rachel, Hedge, you and me. A warrior, a tactician, an oracle, a satyr, a Praetor and a son of Hades. We make for a strange mix."

"Was the choice unanimous?"

"No. They all volunteered. You do make quite an impression, Reyna." There was a hint of humour in his voice.

Nico sighed, turning serious again, "The monster army coming our way is bigger than anything we've ever seen. Gaea is desperate to destroy us, because in doing so, she kills off the most powerful link of the gods to the mortal world. Not to mention the emotional impact. I'm sure the gods would be devastated if the children they'd never met died."

His tone was full of barely controlled anger. She could see how tightly he gripped the pommel of his sword. Any tighter and his already white knuckles could pop out.

"Nico…" she hesitated, wondering if it was her place to tell him what she was about to.

"He didn't even ask if I was okay after Tartarus," Nico murmured brokenly, "He doesn't care at all."

Reyna made up her mind.

"Your father loves you, in his own way. He helped me save your life on our quest. I don't know whether to be grateful that he nearly sent me to my death, but he went to great lengths to save you. He nearly broke the ancient laws. I don't remember hearing about any other god coming just to save their child."

Nico looked up, genuinely surprised. She went on.

"Maybe he'll never directly tell you. But I know that he cares. The lord of the dead is not known for his social skills, but he definitely _is_ proud to have you as a son." She thought something glistened in Nico's eyes. "Why else would he trust you to lead his armies?"

The young man stared intently at the ground for a moment before his shoulders slumped. He sank down to the ground and rested his head on the tree truck behind him.

"I don't mean to blame him. He is a _god_ after all- he's too busy to watch the mood swings of his mortal son."

"But, that's the keyword- _mortal_. I need something to live for- an incentive to fight enemy after enemy. I'm so _tired_," he whispered, "_Sick_ of having to battle to take the next breath. I didn't choose this kind of life."

The Praetor observed her friend. She didn't claim to understand everything that he'd been through. She couldn't feel the terror and pain that was his constant companion. But, she thought sadly, demigod lives were never happy. That she could understand.

"No, you didn't. It chose you. It chose each and every one of us." She moved closer, "Nico."

He flinched at the sound of his name.

"Nico."

The son of Hades looked up grudgingly.

"Whatever happens, we'll get through it together…I promise."

Something akin to admiration glinted in his eyes. He swallowed thickly, "Promises are dangerous things."

Reyna smiled at him, "Not the ones you really intend to keep."

As she moved forwards again, a shaft of light landed on her face, and she looked up. Above, the sunlight streamed through the new leaves of spring, lighting them up like little lanterns. The forest was coming alive with the sounds of animals, content and happy to welcome a new year.

Being a demigod was a strange affair, she decided.

A blend of the mortal and immortal. Of hope and desperation. Of the fleeting… and eternal. _What do we fight for? _To prolong our lives or the lives of others? To be remembered as heroes?

Being a hero meant being willing to cross the line first, to make sacrifices in the name of a belief. Heroes did things that normal people don't want to. They were the first to enter a battlefield, but the last to leave a battlefield. Sometimes they did at all.

With power comes responsibility. The saying had never been truer than now.

The Praetor had to admit that she too worried about the inevitable future. To know in one's teenage years that one day, perhaps very soon, death would come for them is a thought which chilled her.

She sighed. The only thing to do was to hold one's head high and face the future.

She looked back down at her fellow demigod and was pleasantly surprised to see him doing the same. Their eyes searched each other, seeking the truth and innocence that was so rare in a cruel world like this.

A world, in which, the only true comfort was the presence of others.

Instinctively, she offered him her hand.

There was a pause.

Then Nico grasped it with a smile.

**oOo**

**Fin.**


	23. Author's Note of Thanks

Dear Readers,

I'd like to convey a final thank you to you all! For giving me your support and comments, I am incredibly grateful. As most of you know, The Peregrination is my first full story on this site and to have so much support from you all is extremely encouraging. Without a doubt, you will be seeing more stories from me in the future. I already have several ideas floating around in my mind.

For those that have even compared my work to the magnificent works of authors in real life and on this site, you flatter me- that's like comparing an ant to an elephant. Nevertheless, you have made me a very happy little ant. The past few months have served as a period of great writing practise and morale boosting.

I do hope that I have helped to satisfy your thirst for the series a bit. I do apologise for some of the expectations that I may have planted in your minds. As I read through The Blood of Olympus, I see both similarities and differences. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the book!

Feel free to send me a PM with new ideas, suggestion and check out some more of my stories in the meantime. I hope to see you all again in the future!

I'd like to thank the following people especially for their continued comments and support: (In no particular order)

2509su

MusicAnime31

QueenValerie

hello this is me speaking

pandalover9914

pastamarinara

rainbowchameleon

Chi Sweet Tea

(Without accounts)

Vampireguest

Solatino

PJOLover

Sincerely,

H.


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